


I Wouldn't Want To Live in a World Without Grudges -Volume 2

by Codydarkstalker



Series: A World Without Grudges [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Lucius Malfoy's A+ Parenting, M/M, Remus Lupin Needs a Hug, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2019-08-24 18:53:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16645856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Codydarkstalker/pseuds/Codydarkstalker
Summary: The Malfoy family lies in ruins. After Lucius Malfoy fails to oust Dumbledore or shut down Hogwarts, his crimes against the wizarding world are revealed. He is sent is to Azkaban, while his wife goes on the run, fleeing the country. Draco is left in the care of the Weasley family. When two killers break out of Azkaban, Draco realizes the family he chooses can be more important than his blood relations and the blood debts that come with his magical heritage.





	1. Chapter 1

Draco stared at the page, he was sure he had read the same paragraph four times. He had only been with Severus for a few days, but the boredom was beginning to drive him mad. The first day he had just sat around and sulked. The second day he had finished all his homework (with no help from his godfather, who had insisted it wasn’t fair to have a professor assisting him), and now he was just reading the same book about quidditch teams over and over. 

“Severus…” He began, hating how whiney his voice sounded. He wasn’t a small child, but he was being treated like one. 

“Draco, I know for a fact boredom cannot kill you. I’ve been a teacher long enough to know. If that were possible, Binns would be one of the biggest killers in the world.” Severus snapped, not even bothering to look from his own book. 

They were letting a suite in the uppermost level of the Leaky Cauldron. The rooms were nice enough, clean, and full of well worn antique furniture, with plenty of soft blankets and cushions. The proprietor was happy to bring them anything they could want to eat, and Severus was able to get the newspaper and various books delivered form Flourish and Blotts. It would have been almost pleasant if it wasn’t for the fact Draco was beginning to go stir crazy.

“Hmm, boredom, the new unforgivable curse,” Draco mused, rolling over onto his back and draping the book over his face. “Well it’s novel at least.”

Snape snorted and finally put his book down. “Fine, fine, I guess you can go out for a little while. But you need to be a little less noticeably…”

“A Malfoy?” Draco supplied helpfully. “I know, we aren’t very popular right now but I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.” He moved the book and pushed himself up into a sitting position. 

Snape’s face took on a sharp look. “Well it is serious, and this is important. I can allow you to go out into Diagon Alley alone but you are not allowed, under any circumstance, to tell anyone you are Draco Malfoy. Your family twisted up in every plot in the Wizarding world in one way or another, either on your mother or father’s side of things. Right now, you’re a target.” He beckoned Draco over. 

“You’re not going to make me do something awful like drink polyjuice potion with Longbottom’s hair or something are you?” Draco asked, approaching nervously. He wanted some freedom, but that would be a price too high to pay.

Snape shook his head. “No, nothing as awful as that I assure you.” Snape took his wand and tapped Draco on the nose twice and the top of his head once.

Draco blinked as the world took on a less crisp edge. “Glasses, really?” He pulled them off of his face and took a look. The glass inside wasn’t any real prescription, and the frames were thick black and grey tortoise shell.

“And a slight hair change. It’s simple but should be effective. As long as you don’t look like a miniature Lucius walking around no one should pay any attention to one child wandering around the alley out of dozens doing the same.” Snape wordlessly summoned a hand mirror and held it out for Draco to look.

Draco stared into the mirror, eyes going wide behind the glasses. He could barely recognize himself. Snape had switched his hair from it’s normal icy shade of blond to flat black, and the frames of the glasses obscured his grey eyes and high cheekbones. He reached up and touched his own face gently.

“I look like one of my cousins on my mother’s side.” Draco grimaced and pulled at a lock of hair.

Snape considered him for a moment. “Yes, like this you do look a bit like Regelus Black. But the point is, no one will see anything more than a soon to be third year doing some holiday shopping.”

Draco sighed. “Fine fine. I have some pocket money, so at least I can go and get a new broom maintenance kit. 

“Just make sure not to use your real name,” Snape reminded him. “Maybe Orion? You look enough like his part of the family.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Fine fine, at least it’s not some silly muggle name.” he grabbed his wand and bag of money off of the dresser and hurried out before Snape could change his mind. 

Outside the weather was lovely and despite the looming threat of serial killers on the loose, the alley was buzzing with activity. There were witches and wizards everywhere, shopping and talking and strolling as if they hadn’t a care in the world. It was nice, moving through the crowds, unnoticed. He had gotten used to the noise and press of people, between Hogwarts and his time at the Burrow. 

It was also novel to be able to move through the throngs of people unnoticed. As a Malfoy, he had been used to a bit of attention whenever in public. His family was rich and powerful and, in many people’s opinion rather attractive. Going out usually meant being dressed and brushed and polished until he was perfect looking by some nanny, and then ordered to act perfectly while in public. Obviously anything less than perfection would have reflected poorly on the family. 

Now, no one looked at him twice. It was freeing. The first thing he did was treat himself to a hand pie from a friendly looking witch selling them from a little push cart outside the bookstore. He bit into it and felt the crisp crust crumble down his shirt, and a bit of juice leak out of the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with the sleeve of his shirt and smiled, knowing there was no one there to admonish him for being anything less than a perfect gentleman.

He spent the rest of the day enjoying his freedom. He pet every animal at the Magical Menagerie shop, heedless of the way the rat claws pulled at the fine knit of his sweater, or the way the cat shed on his pants. He walked out smelling faintly of hay and with a a bit of owl fluff stuck in his hair, but smiling wider than he had in days. He had always liked animals, but his parents had forbidden anything besides his eagle owl, which he needed for school. He had begged for a cat, but his parents had been firmly against such a thing, saying that animals were too messy to have wandering about the house.

He watched as a family with a younger child, probably a first year, picked out a frog for their son.

“Daaaaad, I don’t want a frog, I want an owl! All the other kids are gonna have owls!” the boy pouted, holding the amphibian between their thumbs and forefingers as if disgusted by it. “If I go in a with a toad I’m gonna end up in Hufflepuff for sure.”

Draco hid behind a row of owl cages and watched as the mother bit back a giggle and the father crouched down and explained to the boy why he couldn’t have an owl.

“Son, you didn’t feed the fish we got you, and you lost the rat you got for Christmas. You can have an owl if the toad makes it through first year, alright?” the son seemed rather unimpressed with the logic.

Then Draco perused the selection at Flourish and Blotts, even furtively sneaking into the Muggle Studies and Muggle Literature section, both of which had been strictly forbidden. Most of the books were unremarkable, books on muggle history where it had intersected with the magical world. He had learned about witch hunts as a child, the same way many magical children had. Many of the other books were guides of witches and wizards trying to explain their magical abilities to new partners, or primers for muggle born students to give to their parents. 

He ended up furtively purchasing a novel from the muggle side of the store. A paperback with a dragon and a mountain on the cover. He had always been fond of dragon stories, ever since he was a toddler and learned what he was named after. The witch who sold him the book barely looked up from her own massive tome on ancient alchemy as she gave him his change, which was another interesting change. He ended up taking his new purchase and settling down outside Florean Fortescue’s ice cream parlor with a massive sundae. He knew he could have gone back into the pub and read with Severus, but it was nice to soak up some sunshine and people watch while he ate his treat. 

He stayed there until the sun started to go down, finishing over half the book. It was a fun story, and a pleasant break from the endless educational texts forced on him at home. His grades, both first and second year, had been good, but lagged behind students like Hermione Granger. His parents had made it clear it was a matter of family pride that their son not be bested by some muggleborn who hadn’t even known about magic until she got her acceptance letter. His breaks were often consumed with time with half a dozen tutors, coaching him on everything from magical history to Latin and Greek. 

When he got back to the room, Severus was much as he had left him, nose in a book. But dinner had been brought up, so they both took a break from their literary pursuits in order to consume the rather good takeaway curry Severus had ordered, and chat about the upcoming school year. They were just finishing up when there was a sudden hammering on the door. Snape jumped to his feet, wand drawn.

“Mr. Snape. There’s a bit of a situation going on!” Tom sounded slightly breathless, as though he had taken the stairs at a run. ‘You might want to come see.”

Snape opened the door an inch and peaked out. “What is it, what’s going on/”

“Well,” Tom fiddled with the strings of his apron. “It’s Harry Potter sir, he’s here.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Of course it’s Potter. I can’t escape it, even 500 miles away, Potter finds a way to bother me.” Snape took a deep, steadying breath, and turned to Draco. “Stay here while I deal with this. I shouldn’t be gone long. Leave the door locked and just...stay out of trouble.” He tapped Draco on the head with his wand as he exited, and the boy shivered at the icy feeling that spread over his scalp as his hair went back to it’s normal color.

 

Draco nodded, and then had the restraint to wait three whole minutes before ignoring Snape’s directive completely. Dinner at the Weasley household would be over. Molly and Arthur would be settling down for the night, Molly with her knitting and Arthur with some muggle book or bit of leftover papers from work. The kids would be in their rooms, trying to finish their Summer homework without wasting daylight. There was a good chance that there was no one in the living room, by the fire.

 

Draco put in the minimal effort to stuff a few pillows under a duvet, which wouldn’t fool Snape for long, but seemed like the thing to do, and then grabbed the complimentary floo powder off the mantle. The fire was low, but with a bit of prodding he had it roaring. A small pinch was all it took.

 

“The Burrow,” Draco said, quietly as he could, and stepped through the flames. 

 

A moment later and he was back in the now familiar living room. It hurt his heart a little, looking around. It smelled like gingersnaps and the cottage pie Molly had made for dinner. The lights had all been turned down, and the coast was clear, so Draco snuck upstairs to the room he had been sharing with Ron. the door opened easily when he turned the knob, the door swinging open to reveal Ron-

 

“Are you wearing my jumper?” Draco asked, biting back a laugh. 

 

Ron yelped and fell off of the bed and onto the floor in an undignified heap. “Bloody hell Draco!” he whispered, struggling to his feet. “Warn a fellow huh?”

 

Draco snickered and eased the door closed behind him. The noise of Ron falling was unlikely to attract any real attention. Even from there he could hear muffled bangs and booms coming out of the twins’ room.

 

“I just didn’t realize you missed me quite so much.” He pointed down at the top Ron had on. He recognized it as one of his own, a soft grey cashmere that had been a bit too large on his own small frame, but seemed to just fit the taller boy. “I guess you have developed a taste for hand me downs, hmm?”

 

Ron screwed up his face. “Oh shut it. I just took it because it was soft. Mine are all wool.” He pulled awkwardly at the hem. “So you finally managed to sneak off?”

 

Draco grunted an affirmation and climbed onto the bed, making himself comfortable. ‘Yeah, He’s barely let me out of his sight before today. I thought I was going to go completely mad.” He paused and looked around, checking the door and windows were closed. “But here’s the thing. He left me alone in the room because  _ Potter _ is in Diagon Alley.”

 

Ron frowned. ‘What, that’s not possible! Harry can barely leave his aunt and uncle’s house when he’s at home. They’re muggles, they would never take him to Diagon Alley.”  He shook his head. “Must be a mistake.”

 

Draco shrugged and picked at a loose thread on the blanket he was sitting on. “I don’t think so. Snape seemed pretty upset.”

 

Ron stood up and dusted himself off, grabbing his wand off the dresser. ‘Alright then, we’d best go and see. If Harry’s off in Diagon Alley on his own that can’t be good.” he held out a hand for Draco to take. “Come on.”

 

Draco stared at the proffered hand “really? I just got here and you want to go right back?” he flopped back on the bed, content to just soak up the familiar atmosphere.

 

Ron sighed and grabbed Draco by the arm, yanking him up. LIsten, if it were anyone else I might overlook it but with Harry, it’s  _ always _ life and death. If he’s off in Diagon Alley alone, then it means something is wrong. Like You-Know-Who killed his aunt and uncle, or a Dragon burned down their house, or he woke up this morning and Sirius Black was standing over him with a bloody knife.”

 

Draco groaned and let himself be pulled to his feet. “Alright alright, i get it. Potter is special and has special problems.” 

 

Ron kept his hold of Draco’s hand as they crept downstairs. The coast seemed clear until they turned the corner into the living room. Fred and george were sitting on the old worn couch, arms crossed, wearing matching smirks. 

 

“Well well, what have we here?” Fred asked, raising an eyebrow archly.

 

“Looks like some escapees,” George answered, mirror his twin’s expression. “I cannot believe it, sneaks, in our very own home.”

 

“Oh come off it you two!” Ron snapped. “This is important.”

 

“Important enough to give us some of that stash of candy you have left over from your birthday?” Fred asked, leaning forward. “We know you have a whole sack of Bertie Bott’s beans hidden in with your socks.”

 

Ron made a face. ‘I’m not going to ask why you were in my sock drawer, but if it means that much you can have the lot.”

 

Fred and George looked between them.

 

“So this is a big enough deal you’re going to give up a sickle’s worth of candy without argument?” George asked.

 

“All right, out with it,” The twins demanded in unison.

 

Ron rolled his eyes. “Well what is it always when there’s an emergency. It’s Harry.”

 

“Oh, well why didn’t you say so.” The twins jumped up. One grabbed the floo powder for them and the other took a spot guarding the stairs. “Okay, we can cover for you.”

 

Ron smiled at his brothers and finally let go of Draco’s hand to take the pinch of floo powder. He stepped through the flames and disappeared. Draco took a deep breath and tossed his bit of powder in, readying himself for the lurching feeling.

 

“Hey, Draco.”

 

He looked up, one foot in the air. “Yes?”

 

Fred stared at him, eyes suddenly hard. “You keep an eye on Ron alright? He’s going to go and run after Harry no matter what, and we know we can’t stop him. But, try and look out for him when he’s too stupid to look after himself, right?”

 

Draco nodded seriously. “Alright.”

 

He thought he saw the older boy smile as he stepped through the fireplace. But he wasn’t sure. Back in the leaky Cauldron, the room was still empty, the door locked and the pillow under the blanket where he had left it. It seemed Snape hadn’t come back yet.

 

“I think Potter’s in a room somewhere else in the inn,” Draco told Ron, leaning against the door to listen. The hallway was quiet.

 

Ron barely seemed to listen, pushing past Draco and opening the door. ‘Okay, well we need to go find him.” He took only two steps before Draco caught him by the back of his jumper, stopping him.

 

“Oh, and when you find the room he’s in, you’re going to do what exactly? Snape’s in there with him.” Draco leaned around Ron and looked down the other end of the hallway. The coast was still clear. “I might have a better idea.”

 

They managed to sneak downstairs without much issue. It was getting on in the evening and there weren’t that many people in the pub. They were able to sidel out of the door and onto the street. Outside the street lamps were lit, and the crowds of people had thinned out considerably. They snuck around the back of the building and found a few stacks of boxes and barrels put out for trash.

 

“And how to you propose we find Harry form out here?” Ron demanded, clearly growing restless. It was hard to blame him. Often when one of the famous trio went missing they were found in an ancient death trap, or cornered by a troll in a loo. 

 

Draco smirked and pulled out his wand. “Wingardium leviosa!” he carefully levitated the boxes and barrels, lining them up and placing them down into a makeshift staircase. When he was done he flicked his wand and tucked it back into his pocket with a flourish. “I think this should do nicely.”

 

Ron gaped at him. “Bu-but how? You’re under aged, that means no using magic outside of school, right?”

 

Draco rolled his eyes and flicked his bangs out of his face. “Ron, my family may be in a spot of trouble right now, and I may be forced to live in a way not fitting of my station, but I am still a Malfoy. And that means the odd perk here and there, even now.” 

 

Ron rolled his eyes and started climbing. “Alright alright you don’t need to gloat. Let’s go see what’s happening.”

 

Draco followed close behind carefully placing his feet. He wasn’t sure where Harry was, but there were lights in several windows. The moved from one to the other, checking each. Most weren’t interesting, witches and wizards sleeping or reading the paper in bed. In one window there was a young witch singing softly to herself in Greek as she cleaned the room.

 

Ron pulled himself up onto the topmost crate and peeked into the nearest window. He let out a surprised squeak and quickly ducked, hiding himself from view of anyone inside. “I found it!” he whispered to Draco. “Harry’s in there with Snape, and the Minister of Bloody magic!”   

 

“No way.” Draco squeezed in against the wall and risked a quick look inside. Ron had been right. Cornelius Fudge, the actual Minister of Magic, was in the room with Snape and Potter. One of the men turned slightly and he quickly dropped his head down and out of view. ‘Well then, must be something serious. My father always said it was impossible to get Fudge to work after business hours. Now if only we could hear what they were saying.” He stared up at the window. It was shut up tight, and there was no way to open it without alerting the people inside. 

 

Ron shoved a hand into his pocket and rooted around for a moment. When he pulled it out he had a knut, some lint covered Bertie Bott’s beans, and what looked like-

 

“Weasley, is that an ear in your hand?” Draco cringed back. It looked an awful lot like a rather mangled human ear.

 

Ron laughed. “No, not quite. Fred and George made it, they’re called extendable ears. Good for snooping.” He pressed the fleshy ear like thing against the glass and pulled on the equally fleshy tube that came from the back of it. “Come here and listen”

 

Draco leaned in close and was surprised to find he could just make out what was being said inside the room. It was muffled, but he could get the gist of the conversation.

 

“Well you might as well stay here, no sense sending you back to those muggle relatives of yours now...”

 

“Safer here...”

 

“Sirius Black… after you…”

 

“...Malfoy…”

 

Draco’s ears perked at the sound of his own name. He hadn’t known the Minister was aware of his situation, but it made sense. His father and mother were deeply tangled in the affairs of the ministry. His father was behind bars and his mother gone in the wind, but that didn’t mean that every dirty ministry secret they knew was suddenly safe. 

 

He leaned in closer to hear what was being said clearer, but at the same moment, so did Ron. Their heads crashed together, hard. It was enough to knock them both back. The force of toppled them, and upset the stack of boxes. The hole pile wobbled for a moment and then began to fall. They screamed and tried to hold on, but it seemed the ground was rushing up to meet the boys as they fell. 

 

And then they seemed to just...hang there, in the air. Draco managed to crack one eye open and looked down at the ground. It wasn’t far from his face, but the box he was holding was hovering in the air, just above the pavement.  He opened his other eye and looked over to see Ron still across from him. His legs were so long his feet were barely an inch above the ground, but he has his eyes shut tight.

 

“If it weren’t Summer I would be taking points off for both your houses!” Snape shouted down form the now open window. He flicked his wand and the boxes finished their short tumble to the ground, and Draco and Ron let go, rolling onto the cement. 

 

Under his elbow, Harry stuck his head through the window, looking down at them. “Ron is that you?” He shouted. “And...Malfoy?”

 

Draco rolled over and stared up at the dark sky. “Yeah, nice to see you too Potter.”


	3. Chapter 3

 

Sitting on the hard wooden chair by the fireplace, staring up at Snape’s scowling face, Ron had a strong sense of deja vu. It was a familiar expression. Snape seemed to look pained any time he saw red hair. It made sense in a way, every child after Bill had been a slight decline in quality, ro so it must have seemed.

 

Bill was the perfect son, talented and popular and smart. He had been head boy, and best in his class in almost every subject. Charlie was hard working and friendly. Even Percy seemed on track to be head boy. Ron was sure that at the very least his life accomplishments might include usurping Fred and george as Snape’s Most Hated Weasley, which would at least be something to put on his grave when his mother killed him. 

 

“I cannot believe the two of you. I turn my back for five minutes and you nearly kill yourselves!” Snape ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He had been pacing the length of the room as he shouted.

  
“Well, I thought maybe Harry was hurt or something,” Ron managed to mumbled. “When Draco said he was here in Diagon Alley-”

 

Snape’s eyes went wide and he whirled around, fixing his glare on his godson. “And YOU Draco! I didn’t think I would have to deal with such nonsense from you!” he shot a nasty look at Ron. “But I can see the company you’re keeping is beginning to rub off.” 

 

Draco bit his lip and for a moment Ron thought the other boy might actually dry. Until he realized Draco was actually hiding a laugh. Which of course made him let out a hysterical little giggle of his own.

 

Snape turned to him with an icy stare. “Are you...laughing??”

 

“No sir, sorry sir,” Ron managed, nearly choking on his own words as he tried to hold himself back. He wasn’t sure why but suddenly it all seemed very funny. His knees were a bit scraped and Draco’s hair was a mess form the fall, but really they were all fine. 

 

Snape seemed to deflate slightly. He rubbed his palms over his face and turned to leave the room. “I’m going to floo your parents. Do try and stay out of trouble for at least as long as that takes.”

 

They had the good sense to wait until Snape marched out the door and slammed it behind him to start laughing in earnest.

 

“Merlin’s balls, i thought his head was going to explode!” Ron doubled over laughing.

 

Harry tilted his head back, guffawing. “I know! His face was so scrunched up I don’t know if it will ever be normal again.”

 

Draco had the decency to cover his mouth as he laughed. “I’ve never had him that mad at me! It was so hard to keep a straight face.”

 

Ron heaved a deep breath and slumped down in his chair, smile still plastered on his face even as the reality of the situation set in. “Oh hell, Mum’s going to kill me for this you know. Like, actually kill me. I snuck out when there’s two murderers on the loose.”

 

Harry perked up at that. “Oh! That’s right i haven’t had a chance to tell you, but that’s part of why I’m here.”

 

Draco and Ron turned in unison. “Really? You saw one of them?”

 

Harry sighed. “Not exactly.” He got up and closed the window, locking it carefully. “You see, I sort of had a...fight...with my family. I got a bit mad and I uh, blew up my aunt. Not like a bomb!” He corrected, seeing the matching looks of horror on the other boy’s faces. “More like balloon you know? Anyways, after that I kinda ran off. but...I saw something. This massive black dog, and it almost looked like it was going to come after me, but then the Knight Bus showed up, and well here I am.”

 

“A grim?” Ron asked, feeling his blood go cold. “You, you really saw a grim?”

 

Harry shrugged. “I don’t what a grim is, but Fudge and Snape seemed pretty worried, so they want me to stay here.” he leaned in and lowered his voice. “I guess there’s some people from Azkaban who said that they heard Black shouting in his cell ‘He’s at Hogwarts’, and they think maybe he’s coming after me.”

 

“Ah well, you’re in fine company then,” Draco commented dryly. “My Aunt Bellatrix is probably coming after me. Not to kill me mind you, but to snatch me away and make sure the Weasley’s and Dumbledore don’t fill my head with anti pureblood nonsense.” 

 

Ron snorted. ‘Yeah, heaven forbid you rub elbows with the common folk and end up a decent person.” 

 

Draco kicked him in the shin. “Oh do shut up. You know, your family, poor as it may be, is still in the Sacred Twenty-eight. So really it’s people like Potter and Snape they should have worried about.” 

 

Harry’s brow furrowed. “The Sacred what now?”

 

Ron rolled his eyes. “The Sacred twenty Eight. It’s some stupid list of pureblood families some knob wrote up decades ago. Some families, even big important ones, were suspected of mixing with muggles. So it became a big deal to be on this list.”

 

Draco nodded and looked down at his nails. “Yes, exactly. It was also an important part of magical social status. Those families married into one another. They shared land and wealth and thought that intermarrying increased their magical talents.” He scraped a bit of dirt out from under his nails and poked at his cuticles. “Actually, just three generations back and the three of us are related.”

 

Ron and Harry’s jaws dropped in shock at that bit of information.

 

“What? That’s not right, no one in my family ever married a malfoy!” Ron insisted.

 

Harry nodded hurriedly. “Yeah, no offense but there’s no way I’m from some big deal family.”

 

Draco heaved a sigh. “The two of you astound me. Ron, I can’t believe with a family as big as yours there’s no family tree. Didn’t your family ever make you memorize genealogy tables?” Ron just continued to look at him blankly, so he pressed on. “Both of you had some great great something or other that married into the Black family. As in Sirius and Bellatrix Black. As in my cousins.” 

 

Harry shook his head. “You know, the more I learn about this world the less I understand. It’s like learning about old royal dynasties at school. This one is always marrying that one, forging some alliance, until some other bloke comes along and kills them with a sword.”

 

Draco thought for a moment and then nodded. “Actually that’s not far off Potter. You know, that's where half the problems come from. Everyone fighting is always fighting some aunt or cousin or long lost relative. Every death or arrest causes some massive shift in power. It’s a big tangled mess.”

 

“Yeah, and it’s only worse now so many pureblood families only have one or two kids. Not enough of them to go around,” Ron added, with some amount of pride. “Our family’s got the most kids by more than half.”

 

Draco stuck his tongue out. “Yes now if only they could feed them all.”

 

“Hey! Watch it!” Ron swung a leg out to kick Draco and instead caught the leg of his chair, nearly toppling them both over.

 

They were just trying to right themselves when the door slammed open, nearly busting off it’s hinges. Molly Weasley pushed through, still in her pajamas and dressing gown, face red with anger.

 

“Ronald Billius Weasley! I cannot believe you! A killer on the loose and you go galavanting off to Diagon Alley! And you drag Draco into this! I know, I know, this is becoming old hat for you but if you give me another fright like this I am going to box your ears clean off, I swear it!”  She turned to Harry and her features immediately shifted into something soft and warm again. “Oh, Harry dear. I am so glad to know you’re safe. I do worry about you over Summer holidays.”

 

Harry somehow managed a smile. “Thank you mrs. Weasley. It’s nice to see you again.”

 

Snape came in behind Molly, Arthur alongside him. ‘Ah, Molly, please don’t downplay Draco’s role in this. “You are still going to be in trouble, Draco  _ Abraxas  _ Malfoy, believe me.”

 

“Abraxas?” Ron muttered under his breath, looking over at draco.

 

“Oh, like it’s any worse than Billius!” Draco snapped back.

 

Molly turned to Snape. “I am so sorry about this Severus. Ronald seems to think that any time anything happens with Harry here, he is obliged to rush in like a knight on a white horse and save him.”

 

“Hey! Sometimes that’s kind of true!’ Ron argued. “I mean, at least a little bit.”

 

Draco watched the argument continue and glanced at Harry. “Is it always like this when you break the rules?’ he asked, genuinely curious. He had always assumed that after McGonagall or Dumbledore pulled them aside, they just...sat there and had a sweet or something. He didn’t think they ever actually got yelled at. “I thought Gryffindors all got cocoa and extra points when they broke rules.”

 

Harry glanced up at the adults, who were arguing amongst themselves over a suitable punishment for the three of them. “Yeah, this seems about normal. We’re not at Hogwarts, but if we were Snape would be telling anyone in earshot I should be kicked out. Points and cocoa are end of the year only usually. Gotta beat the dark lord before you get that.”

 

“Hmm…I see.” Draco hummed to himself. He eyes his godfather skeptically, the man seemed to be intent on yanking his own hair out from stress. “He does have something of a temper.”

 

After a moment the adults settled down and turned on the children, matching glares on all three of their faces.

 

“Alright, we have come to an agreement.” Snape pulled at a lock of hair. “Unfortunately, it’s a punishment for me as well.”

 

Molly and Arthur pushed the younger man aside. ‘We decided it would be best if you all stayed here until the start of term. Harry, draco, you’re both safer here, Diagon Alley is too busy for any killer to sneak around, and with Snape here, nothing should be able to get you. And Ron, since you are so clearly concerned about Harry’s well being, you can stay here as well.”

 

The boys all seemed to perk up a bit. It seemed too good to be true. Staying there until end of term hardly seemed like much a punishment. 

 

“Yes, you will all three be staying here,” Snape said, a smirk spreading across his face. “With me.” It was like a bucket of ice poured over their heads. “You will be spending the rest of break assisting me in creating a stock of potions for next year. I have a particularly complex one that Madam Pomfrey cannot brew herself, and you will be working as my assistants. It is going to be very hard work, and if you in any way adversely affect my potion, there will be serious consequences.” He pulled out his wand and waved it in the air, summoning a massive book, the leather worn and the pages covered in little notes and additions. He let it hover in the air for a moment and then dropped it unceremoniously on Ron’s lap, the thud causing the red head to wince in pain. “Have fun.” 


	4. Chapter 4

Draco stifled a laugh as he watched Ron struggling to remove the petals from the flowers of St. John’s wort. They had to be handled delicately, bruised petals yielded a less than perfect potion, which of course was out of the question for Severus Snape, who wouldn’t put his name on any substandard brewing. Ron had been given a relatively easy task, removing the petals with a special pair of silver tweezers. All he had to do was pluck them without damaging them and drop them into a little jar, but he still seemed to be having rather a hard time.

 

Harry was on his side of the table, using a  stone mortar and pestle to grind dried herbs into fine powder. It was hard work, and his brow was furrowed with the effort it took to grind the plants without making a mess. “Dammit!” he exclaimed, a sprinkle of powdered dandelion seed escaping the bowl.

 

“Ugh, why isn’t all this done by magic? Isn’t this the point of magic? Not doing stuff by hand like muggles?” Ron whined, tossing aside yet another mangled blom. “I mean, all this fussing seems so silly, there must be a spell.”

 

Draco laughed, keeping his eyes on his own work, removing scales from moth wings, leaving just the nearly invisible membrane beneath. It was delicate work, he used a small mink hair brush to move the scales, making a little pile off to one side on a silver plate. “Delicate work means delicate magic, not sure you could manage with those giants beater’s hands.”

 

Harry glanced up from his task. “Now that things are a bit calmer, can I ask why Malfoy is even here?” he shot the blond boy a look. “I mean, Snape mentioned he was here with him, but why was he, ya know, with you?”

 

Ron’s face went red before he could turn away and hide it. “Well, you know, Mum told us to play nice and all.” He tore another petal off a flower, pulling so viciously that he ripped the whole thing apart. “Not like I had much choice obviously, him living with us.”

 

Draco stiffened in his seat, grip so tight on the brush that he thought it might snap in his grip. He shouldn’t have been surprised, he knew that Ron, Weasley rather, had hated him last term, and it was a thing unlikely to change between them. Now that Potter was around it made sense that Weasley would go back to treating him with contempt. But for some reason, he hadn’t really been expecting it.

 

“I have enough moth wings for several batches, I’m going to go and find Severus and get the instructions for the next step,” He announced, pushing back from the table and standing up stiffly. 

 

He marched out of the room, closing the door behind him with a little bit more force than necessary, and then leaned against it, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. He smoothed his hair and carefully brushed a few silvery scales off the cuffs of his shirt before heading down the hall. Snape had, with some help from the Minister and possibly Dumbledore, gotten two suites for their use. The professor had set himself up in a room in the nicer suite, which was where Draco found him.

 

Severus was sprawled in a chair, one leg hiked up over the arm of the chair, a leather bound book resting on his knee, and a quill between his teeth. He was so absorbed in his work that he didn’t even look up as Draco uprached, too busy scribbling notes in the margins of the book.

 

“Severus, I managed to get all the moth wings prepared. What’s the next ingredient?” Draco leaned forward to see the book Severus was holding a bit better. ‘Oh, is that a part of the preparation for the potion we’re going to brew?” He asked, curious.

  
  


Severus nodded, still distracted. “Yes, however, I am making some adjustments. Damocles Belby is an idiot, he had no true understanding of what he was meant to be doing…” He put his finger in the book to mark his page and snapped it shut, pushing up to stand. “I will be needing some additional ingredients to make changes to this potion. Would you like to join me at the Apothecary shop?”

 

Draco nodded, eager to get some more time away from Weasley and Potter. “What are we going to get?” he asked, falling into step beside his Godfather as they left the Leaky Cauldron. “I know we’re making a Wolfsbane potion, I’m not stupid you know, calling it St. John’s Wort doesn’t fool me.”

 

Snape gave a little smirk. “Well, you’re my god son and a Slytherin, trained properly, I would have been disappointed if you didn’t realize actually.” His expression darkened somewhat. “But I don’t think you need to be telling those two right away. Some people can be very anxious when it comes to werewolves.” Snape motioned Draco forward and tapped him on the head and the bridge of his nose, restoring the glasses and dark hair he had used to disguise Draco before. 

 

Draco nodded. He knew about werewolves. There were rumors his mother and father had associated with Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf famous for spreading his curse whenever possible, focusing particularly on children. The curse was a serious one, most people afflicted with it hid themselves away from the world, completely shunned from normal magical society, even though they were perfectly safe most of the time.

 

“Is it a student? A werewolf student?” he asked, keeping his voice very low. “Because i know this potion is difficult to make and doesn’t keep very long, so you wouldn’t just make it to give to madame Pomfrey for no reason.”

 

Snape snorted, scowling. “No, Not a student, so don’t worry.” he strode through the crowd, open robes billowing behind him. Even away from his dungeons he kept on with usual black, although he allowed himself a pair of trousers and simple shirt under lighter opened robes, more casual than he ever would have allowed himself back at Hogwarts. “I won’t be spilling any secrets Draco, so there’s no sense in asking any more questions.”

 

Draco shrugged. “I’m perfectly happy to just enjoy my time away from the Gryffindors.” he kicked at a pebble as they walked, keeping it ahead of them as they went. “It’s enough to make me wish start of term were coming sooner.” He gave the stone a particularly hard kick, shooting it off into a gutter.

 

Snape paused and looked down at Draco, raising one dark eyebrow. “Really? I had rather thought you and...Ronald...were getting along rather well. Molly Weasley and her husband certainly thought so when I spoke with them.” 

 

Draco moved slightly out of the way of traffic and leaned against the brick wall of Potage’s Cauldron Shop, crossing his arms over his chest. “I suppose I thought so too. But apparently now that potter is back my companionship is no longer needed.” He rolled his eyes dramatically.

 

Snape groaned and pulled at a lock of his hair. “Alright Draco, I am about to tell you something i have told very very few people in my life. If you were older I would swear to secrecy magically, but in the meanwhile rest assured if this gets out I shall know it was you and make you regret it, am I clear?”

 

Draco nodded, eyes going wide. It wasn’t often that Severus threatened him in such a way, most of the time such attentions were focused on other children, ones more deserving of his ire.

 

Snape took a deep breath and began. “When I was young, younger than you, I was friends with a muggle born girl. She was really my only close friend. I was poor and mean, I won’t deny that. She somehow looked past it and was nice to me. When we got to Hogwarts, we stayed friends, at first, but when she got close to some other students I often fought with, i turned on her. I viewed it that she had turned on me. The friend of my enemy must be my enemy. But we were...young, very very young. I look back now and I know that. It was schoolyard bullying, and in the grand scheme of life wouldn’t have mattered much but I MADE it matter, I made it everything. I let all of my anger define me, distract me from things that I loved, that made me happy.” He looked Draco in the eye and continued, clearly needing to force out the final words, even though it was hard. “I was bitter about it for many years and it wasn’t until all of them died that I saw the situation for what it was. A waste.”

 

Draco chewed at his lip. “So you’re saying what? To make nice with potter and Weasley? Granger too? What about Longbottom, they’re friends with him too you know.”

 

A pained expression crossed Snape’s face. “I had forgotten that. But, as much as it pains me, yes, you would do well to put these grudges aside and try and get along with them. I’m sorry to say you might not receive a very warm welcome back in Slytherin after this Summer.”

 

Draco nodded glumly. He had thought of that. He hadn’t received a single piece of mail form any of his old friends in Slytherin. Not even Pansy had sent him a letter, and normally he could barely keep up with her steady flurry of correspondence. He understood though, their parents weren’t unlike his own. The Malfoys would never have allowed their son to associate with a person mired in scandal like he was, that was just part of life as a member of an important family. 

 

“Well it’s not just me, you know,” he said, scrunching his nose up. “Ron only started like this when Potter showed up. It’s more his fault than anything.”

 

Snape patted him on the head, ruffling his hair. “Yes well, aside from being a part of the golden trio, they are still teenage boys, and those are not well known for their emotional intelligence.”

Draco nodded and followed as Snape set off again, leading them to the potion supply shop. The inside of the Apothecary was a place he enjoyed. It smelled of dried herbs and lightly scented smoke, and the air felt pleasantly cool. Even the jars and pots of stronger smelling things didn’t put him off much, if only because they were so interesting. Slug and Jigger’s Apothecary had a standing deal with Hogwarts for supplies, so draco milled around while Snape instructed the shop keeper on how much he needed of what. 

 

The walls were filled with shelves upon shelves on interesting things. Powdered unicorn horn, harvested from the bits broken off and found laying on forest floors. He picked up a vial of dragon’s blood, holding it up to the light to see the color. They ranged from ruby red to a glittering blue black depending on the species. He had asked once, as a child, what Dragon he was named after. He had been disappointed when he learned it was after the constellation, but his father had told him the story of the dragon guardian of the garden of the nymphs, and his parents had called him their little dragon when alone. Privately he liked to think he was named after an Antipodean Opaleye, since their silvery scales and shining eyes weren’t too different in color from his own. 

 

Once Snape made his purchases, he handed one of the heavy bags to Draco, and they headed back to the Leaky Cauldron in comfortable quiet. Once they were back to their rooms, Draco took some of the ingredients, and a note explaining the needed preparations, back with him to Ron and Harry. The two of them hadn’t made a great deal of headway with their tasks in his absence, and he sighed as he set the new work down on the table.

 

“Here, Snape wants us to work on these next, there’s notes on what to do.” He reached into the bag and pulled out fresh mistletoe, poppy seeds, and cinnamon bark. “If you need it I can help you with some of the more complicated preparations.”

 

Harry and Ron exchanged a look over the mess they had made of their ingredients. “Really?” Harry asked, looking down at the mangled herbs he had been grinding. “I mean, we could maybe use a bit of extra potions help.”

 

“It would probably be good for our exams, Hermione would be proud,” Ron noted, setting down his tweezers and flexing his fingers, sighing as they cracked and popped loudly. 

 

Draco forced a smile. ‘Well, the two of you obviously need all the help you can get. Now, come over here and I can show you how to grind the cinnamon bark into powder. It amplifies the effects of other magical ingredients and it’s actually not hard to do.” He waved them over as he took put a hand cranked burr grinder from the bag, and showed them how to add in bits of cinnamon and crank them into a perfectly smooth powder. The other boys looked over his shoulders, asking questions about the other items and what to do with them as well. 


	5. Chapter 5

**_Hermione-_ **

 

**_Sorry I haven’t had much chance to right this Summer. I was back with my muggle family, the Dursely’s, and you know how they can be about owls coming and going. I suppose I should have gotten your family’s address and mailed you the muggle way instead, but they don’t like when I get post that way much either. I think the only mail I ever got was my Hogwarts letter, and that was so traumatic for them that they would probably faint seeing my name on an envelope again._ **

 

**_Thankfully I’m away from them for the rest of the break. Don’t worry, I’m safe and sound and under the very very watchful eye of one Severus Snape, which just goes to show I can’t win in this life. The story is a bit of a mess, but the long and short of it is I may have accidentally turned my Aunt into a balloon, the likes you see at parades. She said something nasty about my parents and I just lost it. After that staying seemed like a bad idea so I left her for the Ministry to sort out, grabbed my bags, and left. I had no idea where to go, and I ended up catching the Knight Bus, which is apparently a form of wizard transit system. I actually pretended to be Neville of all people, and decided I could stay in Diagon Alley for a while, just until school started._ **

 

**_Well, that’s where I am now. When I showed up Tom, the innkeeper at the Leaky Cauldron, gave me a room, and Minister Fudge himself came to have a word with me. They were actually more worried than they were mad, thankfully. It turns out Sirius Black might be after me, that madman who escaped Azkaban, but that just means i have to add him to the list, right? The oddest thing was Snape was already there! Apparently Draco Malfoy was here with him because his evil Aunt escaped Azkaban and may be after him. So now, in addition to everything else, I have things in common with Draco bloody Malfoy, will wonders never cease?_ **

 

**_About an hour or so after I showed up, Ron and Draco came to check up on me. Apparently the two of them are getting along now? I haven’t had much time alone with Ron, but he’s been a bit odd every time I ask anything about staying with Malfoy. I decided it was better if I don’t press him too much, and besides, draco is helping with all the extra work Snape’s been giving us to keep busy. We’ve been brewing some kind of super complicated potion with St. John’s wort, and it takes ages, but it’s normally a project for Advanced Potions, so you should go ahead and be jealous. Ron and I might finally have a subject we get better marks than you in after this._ **

**_Write back soon. I’d like to hear from you before I see you on the train back to school. It’s been a busy Summer here and I don’t even know what you’ve been up to! Hopefully having more fun than me or Ron at least._ **

 

**_Hoping to hear from you soon,_ **

**_-Harry J. Potter_ **

 

 

**_Harry-_ **

 

**_I cannot believe how much trouble you and Ron have managed to get into after only being away from me for a few months! I shouldn’t really be surprised though, trouble has a way of finding you I guess. At least this time He Who Must be Named wasn’t the source of the trouble. He seems content to just be a problem during term. Which has been a bit of a nuisance, what with fighting evil getting in the way of studying, but at least it’s predictable._ **

 

**_As for me, it’s been a rather quiet Summer. I’ve been spending time with my parents and seeing some of my friends from before Hogwarts. I’ve told them all I got into a boarding school in Scotland, and they’re always full of interesting bits of muggle culture that I missed out on while we were off at school. It can be fun to take a short break form Charms homework and my Potions papers to watch Disney movies with the other kids in my neighborhood. I love seeing how different magic in movies is from the real thing. Although the magic carpet in Aladdin seems just as dangerous as any broom._ **

 

**_It’s funny really, when I first found out about magic and that i was a witch, I was excited about this big new world. But the longer we’re at school, the more normal it seems and the more I miss muggle life now and then. I don’t think I could ever give that world up entirely. I wonder if I should start a club for muggle born witches and wizards, and half muggle ones too, so we can meet up at school and talk. The muggle studies program at hogwarts is woefully out of date._ **

 

**_I am looking forward to going back though. And this potion you’re working on with professor Snape is very interesting. I did a bit of research in a spare moment and it seems that the most complicated potion one brew with that herb is a Wolfsbane potion. It’s a potion given to people afflicted with the werewolf curse, it’s meant to make them less dangerous during transformation. It’s dreadfully complex and the person who needs it must drink large amounts, before and during the period of a full moon._ **

 

**_I wonder if there’s going to be a new student who’s a werewolf? It seems very dangerous, but I suppose even that shouldn’t be enough to stop someone getting a good education. It’s all very sad, werewolves. They’re so isolated, even in the magical world it seems no one cares for them, too afraid of them. Which seems silly because wizards shun muggles for the same reasons._ **

 

**_I am going to be coming to Diagon Alley soon to get the last of my school supplies, maybe all of us could meet up then? I have missed you and Ron a good deal this Summer. It’s not the same, having fun without you two around. As for Draco Malfoy, well, I suppose everyone must have some redeeming qualities, even him. Maybe some time in his company is all I need to see them. If you wouldn’t mind passing along a message though, an apology for his choice of language would be much appreciated. I know it couldn’t have been easy, with parents like him raising him rotten, but still._ **

 

**_Missing you and wishing you well,_ **

**_Hermione Granger_ **


	6. Chapter 6

Ron waited until Harry’s breathing even out before calling out softly into the darkness. “Draco, you up?”

 

There was a slight rumpling of sheets. “Yes Weasley, although I was hoping to get to sleep before you start snoring.”

 

Ron slid out of bed and carefully shuffled over to Harry’s trunk. “Come here, I have something to show you.” He carefully opened the trunk and searched around inside until his hand closed over something smoother than silk and cool as water. “Ah, here it is.”

 

Draco clambered out of bed and slid his socks on, padding over to Ron. “Alright, what is it? You know if Snape catches us out of bed it will be Hell.”

 

Ron grinned and held up his prize. “Not an issue.” He pulled Draco in close and threw the invisibility cloak over the pair of them.

 

Draco gasped, seeing the cloak settle over his body and then disappear. “An invisibility cloak? A real one? They’re so rare!”

 

Ron put a finger to his lips. “I know, but if we want to use this one we need to keep it down or we might wake harry, or worse, Snape.” He glanced at Harry and saw he was still fast asleep.

 

He lead the two of them out of the suite, right past Snape’s open door, and out into the hall. He held his breath when the hinges on the door creaked, but they made it out of their rooms and out into the main hall without incident. Draco simply let himself bu pulled along as Ron maneuvered down the hall to a large window, which he managed to shimmy open. Outside the ledge was wide, with a well secured flower box, and above that the eaves of the roof.   

 

“Alright, out we go,” Ron said, swinging his legs through the window. He got his feet under him and turned, holding a hand out for Draco to take. “Alright, come along then.”

 

Draco stared at him, bewildered. “Are you seriously suggesting I climb out the window onto a planter box?” He shot a nervous look down the hallway. ‘I think you’re out of your mind.”

 

Ron laughed and grabbed at Draco. “Oh shut up, this will be great. Don’t you trust me?” He Pulled Draco towards the window by his sleeve. “Now come on.”

 

Draco hesitated for only a moment before following Ron out the window. It was cool outside, and the wind was blowing, but mercifully dry. He followed the taller boy up and onto the roof, where they managed to find a bit of a seat near the ledge. 

 

From their perch they could see the whole of Diagon alley sprawling out before them, a river of lights in the darkness. They just sat there for a long moment, enjoying the view. The cold air blew around them and soon Draco found himself leaning into the other boy’s side, huddling with him under the cloak, which for all it’s silken fineness was surprisingly warm. 

 

“We go back to school tomorrow,” Draco whispered, not wanting the break the spell. “Third year…” It seemed almost impossible, that life would just continue on as it always had, that they would return to classes and homework and Quidditch. 

 

Ron stiffened a bit next to him. “Ah, yeah, i wanted to have a chat about that-”

 

“I understand, classes start day after tomorrow and you need to put some distance between us while we’re at Hogwarts. Of course, it’s completely reasonable. I know you’re friends are no fans of mine, and vice versa, and-” Draco rambled until Ron stopped him.

 

Ron did that by grabbing Draco by the shoulders and spinning him so they were face to face and planting a very quick kiss to his mouth. It was awkward and fast and Draco made a very undignified sound when it happened. But it also set his heart beating a mile a minute, and when Ron pulled back he held onto his shirt as if scared he might vanish.

 

“Erm, sorry, you were rambling, and…” Ron floundered for a moment. “Sorry? Maybe?”

 

Draco sat there, staring blankly ahead, unblinking, and mouth ever so slightly open. He didn’t even react to Ron’s words until the other boy made an effort to slide back and give him some space.

 

“Sorry,” he whispered, lowering his eyes. “Sorry, I-I just wasn’t expecting that…” he looked up  at Ron through his lashes. “But, you shouldn’t be sorry. I mean, maybe try and be less clumsy next time. I thought that nose of yours was going to do me in-hmph!”

 

Draco bit back a squeak as Ron grabbed ahold of him and kissed him again, this one a bit longer and sweeter than the first. Ron held him there in place against his chest, one of his hands moving up to gently brush through the silken strands of Draco’s hair. It was enough to pull a desperate little noise out of the blond.

 

“See, you just keep talking,” Ron said as he pulled away, keeping his eyes closed for just a moment. “And before, I wasn’t trying to say I won’t speak to you at school. In fact, I was going to say the opposite.” he picked up Draco’s hand and gave it a squeeze. 

 

Draco chewed at his lip. ‘I just thought, because of how you acted when potter showed up, that maybe you wouldn’t want to.”

 

Ron looked down at Draco’s hand, small and pale compared to his own. “Draco, you know as well as I do the problem when we go back won’t be my friends. They might take a bit to come around but they will. It’s those bloody Slytherins I’m worried about. They might not forgive you so easily for falling in with the wrong sort.”  

 

“Funny, coming from them.” Draco snorted. “But you might be right. Pansy and Blaise can be dreadful snobs actually.”

 

Ron rolled his eyes and leaned back, laying on the cool roof tiles and pulling draco down with him. “I can only imagine. Or actually, I don’t need to, they made their opinions of me, my friends and my family quite clear on a number of occasions.”

 

Draco settled down onto Ron’s chest, soaking up the other’s boy’s warmth. The sky above them was full of stars, bright and shining. He could just make out Venus, if he stared hard. “Well, the Hell with them then.” He snuggled in closer, relishing that closeness. “Hell with anyone and everyone who has a problem with...us.”

 

Ron hesitated and then nodded. “Yes, hell with them all.”

 

They stayed up on the roof for an hour, until their fingers and toes grew too cold for them to stand it anymore. Getting back in the window was a bit easier than climbing out of it, and they made it back inside and into their beds without incident. Ron stashed Harry’s cloak back into his trunk and as he pulled the sheets up over himself, he felt a perfect sense of wellbeing. The next day they would take the train to Hogwarts and all would be well.

 

They all woke up early the next morning, Ron and Draco dragging a bit from their lack of sleep. Snape oversaw the last of their pack, and boxed up the bottled of potion they had made. “I won’t have any of you running late for the train. I need to take it myself this year because of you and I have every intention of getting my own compartment.”

 

“Hermione wrote and said she would meet us at the train,” Harry said, grabbing hold of his trunk. “So we’re going to meet her and your family there Ron.”

 

Ron nodded. “Yeah, Mum and Dad told Snape already. They got everyone’s school supplies before, so they didn’t need to drag the lot of them down to Diagon Alley for shopping. Ginny was a bit put off I bet, but it’s good really, since we all ended up in the paper. No one really wants the attention.” He cast a long look at Draco at that.

 

Draco gave a weak laugh. “Yes, I shall be saying goodbye to my anonymity I enjoyed while I was here. Too bad, I think it just proved how well my character holds up even when I do look like a slightly more handsome version of Potter.” he managed to duck just in time to avoid the balled up sock Harry threw at his head.

 

Snape ignored their antics, too busy instructing Tom on where to take their luggage and advising him to order a portkey for the station. “I can’t be bothered to side along apparate the lot of them.” 

 

He was out of his normal robes for the work, dressed in plain black pants and boots and a black shirt with the sleeves pushed up out of the way. It took a little while for Ron to realized why he looked so strange. It was more skin than he had ever seen the professor have on display. Immediately he felt his eyes drawn to the man’s forearm, and the black mark there. The dark mark. He hadn’t seen one in real life before, and the darkness of it on pale skin, made his chest feel tight. 

 

Ron managed to snap himself back to reality just in time to realize he had missed everything Harry was saying to him. “Sorry mate, what was that?”

 

Harry rolled his eyes. “I was asking if you had any guesses about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. We’re going to need a new one now that Lockhart is no longer...suitable for the position.”

 

Ron gave a small laugh at the memory of a very addled Lockhart at the end of the last term. The man had been such a prat and so willing to erase their memories for his own glory, that it was hard to feel any sympathy for the fool. “No idea, just hope they stick around this time.”

 

Draco watched as Snape left the room, shouting more orders to Tom as he went down the hall. “Well, I don’t know who it is but I know Severus wanted that job and still doesn’t have it, so it must be someone good.”

 

They finished packing with a minimum of fussing and managed to get themselves downstairs and to the portkey Snape had arranged with just enough time. The portkey was a simple object, as was normal, this time it was a rather worn out mop.

 

“Go on and grab ahold, it’s set to activate soon,” Snape advised. He grabbed the top fo the handle and held the broom out for the boys to latch on to. “I assume you’ve all used a portkey before-”

 

“I actually haven’t professor,” Harry interrupted, a worried look on his face. “How does it work?”

 

Snape took a deep breath to explain, but before he could, the lot of them felt the tug from under their feet, and then fell through the sudden hole that opened up in space and time. They managed to land mostly on their feet at the train station, right inside platform 9 and ¾. Harry wobbled on his feet for a moment and looked rather green, but he swallowed loudly and managed to steady himself before Ron felt the need to hold him up.

 

“That, Potter, is how a portkey works. A charmed item allows groups of people to apparate simultaneously.” Snape quickly rolled down his sleeves, conjured up a robe, and brushed a stray bit of lint away. “Now, with all of that in order, I bid you all farewell. I trust you can all see yourselves safely onto the train.” he shot one last warning look at harry and Ron and then marched off, cape billowing behind him.

 

“Well, seems you all had a pleasant Summer, hmm?” A familiar voice spoke from behind them.

 

Ron turned and grinned. “Hermione! Good to see you again!” He reached out and gave her a quick hug, a move that harry didn’t copy, he noted. 

 

Hermione gave Harry a smile and then her expression grew strained as she turned to Draco. “Hello, Malfoy.”

 

Ron tensed. He wanted to be sure that draco would be nice and polite but really, this was going to be the first big test. The moment Draco decided to either be a better person or retreated to the familiar role of being an ass. 

 

“Ah, hello Granger, I hope you have a nicer holiday than we have, locked up with Professor Snape,” Draco replied with an easy smile.

 

Hermione froze, for just a moment, and then let out a little laugh. “You know, i would have thought you’d have an easy time of it.”

 

Draco shook his head and adopted a very ill used look. “Oh no of course not. I was stuck with these two, so I got all the hard parts of the brewing, plus I had to babysit while they prepped. I cannot imagine how must work it must have been, keeping them from failing.”

 

Hermione let out a real laugh at that. “Well, i can tell you it was no small task. They hate homework.”

 

Ron exchanged a bemused look with Harry as Draco and Hermione started walking towards the train, leaving them behind.

 

“Well then how do you like that?” Harry asked, gesturing at the pair.

 

Ron bit back a laugh and shrugged. ‘Turns out Draco’s a bit of a brain too, now we’ll be a bit more evenly matched.” 

 

Harry scrunched up his nose at that, but the smile returned to his face in a moment. “Oh! There’s your family Ron!” He pointed further down the tracks, where there was a cluster of bright red hair.

 

Ron grabbed Harry by the arm and pushed through the crowd to get to the rest of the Weasley’s. “Hey! I almost thought I would miss you lot!” Anything else he might have wanted to say was squeezed out of him when fred and George hugged him, sandwiching him between them and squishing him until he thought his ribs would crack into pieces.

 

“Oh, Ronald, I didn’t see you at first!” Molly managed to pull Ron out of his brother’s arms, and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I was hoping to catch you before the train left. Where’s Draco?” She looked around, craning her head for a glance of silvery hair.

 

Ron wriggled out of her grasp. ‘He went up ahead with Hermione, to get us a decent seat, they must have missed you.”  

 

Just as soon as the words had left his mouth, Hermione and Draco pushed through the crowd and arrived at his side. “Sorry, just looking after our luggage, only took a moment.” Hermione leaned forward to give Molly a quick hug. “Good to see you again Mrs. Weasley.”

 

Mrs. Weasley grinned from ear to ear. “Oh, darling you look prettier every time I see you!” She looked at the children in front of you. “Really, the lot of you are growing up so fast it’s almost too much sometimes.”  

 

Arthur seemed to sense that Molly was on the edge of a breaking point, too full of motherly love, and stepped in. “Now, I hope you lot are all ready for a good school year. We expect letters and good grades, from all of you.” He let his gaze rest on Ron with the last bit. “And no trouble either, if we get a single letter from Mcgonagall there will be hell to pay, alright?” And here his stare moved on to Fred and George, who had the gall to look innocent.

 

“Course not! Fred replied.

 

George nodded. “We would never!”

 

Then the station whistle sounded, signalling it was time for all of them to board the train. Everyone on the platform seemed to move at once, scrambling to grab bags and owl cages and scarves and younger siblings. The mass of people seemed to split liek the red sea, parents moving farther back, away from the tracks as  the children crowded forward, shouting and shoving in attempt to get good seats.

 

Ron waved goodbye to his parents and followed his friends onto the train, the rumble of it under his feet already so familiar. He loved the train. He had watched all his siblings get on it before him, and it seemed the gateway to the real magical world, outside the burrow. The train was already packed, and he followed Harry and Hermione forward as they checked compartment after compartment for a good place. By the time they reached the end of the train there was hardly a spot left, except for one compartment completely empty with the exception of a single sleeping man.

“It’s here or we stow ourselves on a luggage rack,” Harry said, moving inside and shelving his trunk. 

 

The man didn’t move or make a noise as they piled in and stowed their trunks away. In fact if Ron hadn’t looked for the tell tale rise and fall of his chest he might have thought the fellow was dead for all he responded to the world around him. They got into their seats just a moment before the train whistled and began to pull away from the station.

 

Ron settled in against the window and watched his parents on the station platform, getting smaller and smaller as the train left. He was pulled back to activity within the train when the compartment door slid open, revealing Neville Longbottom, looking rather disheveled, and clutching his toad desperately to his chest.

 

“Trevor got away from me at the station again, and I thought I was going to miss it entirely, I was so busy looking for him!” He wailed. He stopped short, freezing like a deer in headlights when he saw Draco sitting there, casually leafing through a copy of the Prophet the man had left on the seat. “Oh, uhm…”

 

Hermione took charge as she often did. ‘Oh, come in and sit down neville, before Trevor gets away from you again.” She scooted over closer to Harry, making a bit of room for the boy to sit down. 

 

Neville, to his credit as a Gryffindor, only hesitated a moment before coming in and taking a seat. He had already changed into his robes, but his tie was tied slightly wrong. He fidgeted with it as his eyes bounced between draco and the mystery man, clearly not sure which to ask about first.

 

“Hello Neville hope you had a good holiday.” Harry dug around in his pockets in preperation fo the snack cart coming round. “We were a bit late too, that’s why we ended up bunked with this fellow.”

 

“I think he’s the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher,” Draco commented, not even looking up from his reading. “I mean, only staff can take the train aside form students, and anyone else we would have recognized.”

 

“He doesn’t look much like a professor,” Neville said, taking a better look at the man.

 

That was true enough. The man had brown hair touched with grey, but he didn’t look very old. His clothes were of the muggle sort, but better matched than most wizards could manage, grey trousers that looked like they could have been black once, and a well worn white shirt under a navy cardigan with slightly mismatched buttons. 

 

“He looks like he’s had a rough time of it.” Ron grimaced. He had always been poor, but his mother had never let him look so rough. 

 

The man chose that moment to mumble in his sleep and roll more towards the window, his head leaning across the side of the train compartment. They all but held their breath until he settled back down and his breathing even out. 

 

The topic shifted form the mystery man to the upcoming school year, what classes people were dreading or looking forward to. When the with with the snack cart came around Draco beat Harry to his coin pouch and bought a few of everything, passing the lot around to share. Neville stared at the cauldron cake i his hands for a full two minutes before Hermione reminded him there was no way Daco could have poisoned anything in such a short amount of time before tucking in. After he had a few bites he seemed to be a bit more amenable to Slytherin company. At least until Pansy and Blaise showed up.

 

“So, it’s true you’re shut up in here with scar head, a blood traitor, a mudblood, and what might as well be a squib.” Pansy slid open the compartment door and held it open with her foot. “Goodness Draco, did it really only take a Summer to break you?” 

 

Draco carefully brushed a stray biscuit crumb off his pants and stood, offering Blaise a handshake. “Ah yes, good to see the two of you. Hope you had lovely holidays, I’ll assume nothing of interest happened since you didn’t write.” 

 

Pansy wrinkled her nose as if she smelled something bad. “Well clearly you had a bit of fun.” She cast a disgusted glance at the gathered Gryffindors.

 

Blaise rolled his eyes and shook Draco’s hand. “Good to see you’re doing well. I read about your family.”

 

“Doing well? How could he with what he went through, family name dragged through the mud and now this?” Pansy demanded, cheeks going pink. “Really?”

 

Draco turned to Pansy, looking down at her. “Honestly Pansy, you’re making a scene and it’s all very...common of you.”

 

Blaise put a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh at that. Pansy reached into her robes, possibly to draw her wand, but at that moment, it seemed everything around them went dark. The train lurched slightly, and Draco stumbled back into Ron, the of them landing pressed against the glass, which was suddenly frosted over. 

 

“What in the world?” Ron began, and then stopped as he saw his breath freezing in the air. “Oh bloody Hell.”

 

All of the children grabbed for their wands, and it seemed for a moment they all whispered Lumos at once, because the sudden brightness was enough to blind them for just a moment, and then there was a figure pressed against the glass outside, like a human skull covered in strips of rotten leather, the gaping maw of a mouth pressed hard against the glass.

 

Neville and Pansy screamed in unison, scrambling for the door of the compartment. At the same time, there came a banging from the roof and sides of the train, and a terrible sound of scraping over the steel. Ron Managed to right Draco and pushed to his own feet, lighted wand held aloft. He turned, when he heard another louder pound on the glass, and the sound of it beginning to crack. As he spun about he smashed into a much larger figure, and then realized it was the mysterious man who’d been sleeping.  

 

“Everyone! Quiet, now!” The man ordered, voice still rough with sleep. “Get behind me, and keep your wands up and lit.”

 

The children all shuffled behind him, pressing against the seat as he approached the door to the compartment. The lights in the rest of the train car seemed to have gone out, only the light coming through the frosted compartment door windows offering a bit of brightness. Peeking over his shoulder, Ron could just see the indistinct shape of robed figures, floating down the length of the train, pressing against every closed door. They weren't close, but he could make out the sound of their breathing, wet and rattling. Almost as if it sense him watching, one spun and began floating towards them, it’s speed causing it’s robe to flutter out behind it. The closer it got, the more Ron could smell it, like off meat and the metal tang of blood and something else than made his throat want to close in protest.

 

The closer it got, the more Ron felt Draco shivering beside him. The smaller boy was shaking like a leaf. Ron was about to ask what was wrong when Harry gave a small gasp, and collapsed to the ground. As if it were some kind of signal, more of the creatures turned, coming closer to the single open door. The air grew colder and more rank, and Ron could feel his head swimming. He could see it suddenly, the dungeons in Malfoy Manor. The messages his sister had left in rooster blood on the walls the year before. Smell the slime of the Chamber of Secrets, feel his stone horse crumbling beneath him, and the darkness at the edge of his vision crept inwards.

 

“Expecto Patronum!” Two voice rang out in unison, though one seemed much farther away. There was a flash of silvery blue light and a sudden wash of warmth, and then the creatures fled, slipping away like smoke through a vent.

 

Snape stood in the doorway, wand out and held aloft, and a stricken look on his face. “Remus Lupin.” he said the words like an accusation.

 

The man, Lupin, offered Snape a weak smile, and half collapsed against the wall. “Ah, hello Severus.” He dug around in his pocket for a moment and pulled out a large bar of Honeyduke’s chocolate. “Would you like a piece?”


	7. Chapter 7

Draco came too with the taste of something sweet in his mouth. Honeyduke’s chocolate, the taste was unmistakable. He swallowed the melting candy and blinked his eyes open, Ron was hovering above him, face looking drawn and pale under his freckles. He gave a wan smile when he noticed draco’s eyes had opened.

 

“What-” he coughed, his throat dry and tight. “What happened? I feel like I was run over by the train.” Draco attempted to push himself upright, but found his arms wanted to fold under his own weight.

 

“Dementors. Apparently they will be joining us at school.” The familiar scent of potions ingredients, herbs and smoke, filled Draco’s nose as Severus kneeled down beside him, his robes pooling on the floor around them, and helped Draco up. 

 

“Dementors?” Draco asked, certain he had heard wrong. He looked around as he sat up and realized they were still on the train, though it had stopped. “What would dementors be doing here?”

 

Snape looked over Draco’s head, at Lupin. The other man was tending to Harry, who was just starting to come to, feeding the dark haired boy bits of chocolates and speaking in a low, soothing voice. 

 

“It’s because of Sirius Black and Bellatrix Lestrange,” Hermione said, voice shaky. “I heard people talking at the station. It seems there’s some worry they might attack the school or students.”

 

Pansy mustered the strength to look annoyed at the whole ordeal. “Oh of course, more trouble from your family Draco.” She gave a delicate little sniff. Her already pale face looked waxy. 

 

Draco gave her a scathing look. “Pansy, if you’re quite alright you might as well go back to your own compartment with Blaise. It’s a bit crowded in here with so many.” He was right, with Snape in the room as well, and him and half the carriage on the floor, there was almost no room to move.

 

Pansy opened her mouth to argue but before she could say anything rude, Blaise took her by the elbow and pulled her away. “See at dinner Draco,” he called behind them as he left, marching Pansy down the hall.

 

“Are you well enough to stand?” Snape got to his feet, taking Draco by the elbow and steadying him until he seemed alright. “I should be off to see the Headmaster about all this. Lupin, you should come along with me.” He smoothed his robes and down.

 

Remus nodded and fished in his pockets, producing yet another bar of chocolate. “Here, make sure and take a bit each, of you, and give some to anyone else badly affected. Candy helps ease some of the discomfort caused by dementors, something I suppose we will cover in class quite soon.” he offered a rather sad smile and followed after Snape.

 

Hermione took the chocolate and began breaking it into little squares, handing them out to everyone in the compartment. “Dementors, really, I can’t believe this, it’s so dangerous!” she muttered angrily under her breath, face red and brows knit together. “I can’t imagine they’re a good idea at a school.”

 

Harry gave her a confused look but bit into his piece of chocolate nonetheless, a bit of color returning to his cheeks. “'Mione, what’s a dementor?”

 

“It’s a magical creature Harry, one that feeds on joy and happiness. They can be very dangerous.” Hermione handed off the rest of the chocolate to Neville. “Here, you can go around and see if anyone else needs this. He clutched the chocolate to his chest along with Trevor and hurried off. 

 

“They’re guards.” Draco stared at the chocolate in his hand, not ready to put it in his mouth. His hands were so cold it wouldn’t melt. “They’re guards at Azkaban, they keep the worst of wizarding kind there. They’re why it was thought inescapable, they don’t need iron bars when they have creatures that can suck out your will to live. They’re guards and punishment too.” He felt a shiver wrack his body. His father was still there, in Azkaban, alone with those monsters, and now he knew what it was like, to have them near, sucking at his spirit. 

 

“Punishment?” Harry asked, mouth still full. “What do you mean?”

 

“The kiss.” Draco popped his chocolate into his mouth and closed his eyes, appreciating the sweetness. “The dementor’s kiss is a way to suck out the joy and happiness a person can feel, permanently. The thing they leave behind isn’t a person, it’s a husk, an empty shell in their shape.” he could feel his legs about to go beneath him, and then Ron moved in closer, catching his weight.

 

Hermione glanced out the window. “Almost everyone’s off the train, we need to go or we won’t make it to the castle in time for the sorting and the feast.”

 

She hurried out of the compartment, Harry trailing behind her. He paused for a moment and elt her get ahead, waiting for Draco to keep up. 

 

“You fainted too.” he said it simply, no teasing in his voice. “Why did only we faint?”

 

Draco hesitated and then waved Ron on ahead. “We’ll catch up, don’t worry.” Once the other boy was out of earshot he turned to Harry. “The dementor uses your mind against you. It takes the worst memory you have locked away in your head and uses it to drive all the happiness out of your brain. Some of us...some of us have seen and heard worse things than others.” 

 

Harry nodded, and with that they set off for the carriages to take them to the school. Entering the Great Hall again was like walking into a memory for Draco. At the end of last term it hardly seemed possible the school would stay open, and he had lived his final days their in fear that they would be his last. Looking out at the table of Slytherins, he almost wished he had been right then.

 

Normally Draco enjoyed a place at the center of the table, with Crabbe and Goyle at either side, making sure he was never crowded or elbowed and that he got first pick of everything he wanted. Not the table seemed full already. Crabbe and Goyle sat at the end, huddled over a handful of chocolate frog cards. No one even looked up as he approached the table.

 

He managed to grab a seat towards the opposite end, in the space where new first years would sit. As soon as he sat down, the buzz of conversation died around him like a candle being snuffed out, before roaring back to life with renewed vigor.

 

“Have you heard-”

 

“-his parents-”

 

“-his mum’s gone”

 

“I heard his father was locked away for life-”

 

“Weasleys-”

 

“Blood traitors”

 

Draco put a perfectly blank and mildly pleasant expression on his face, and turned his gaze towards the gryffindor table. He could pick Ron out, and his brothers and sister, with ease. The lot of them were smiling and talking with friends. Even Ginny looked properly happy, no trace of nerves or sleeplessness on her face. There was a part of him that wished he could just go over and join them. He could imagine it, the feeling of being absorbed by all that warmth and laughter at the other house’s table. 

 

But Slytherin was his home, and would be for years to come. He reminded himself that Malfoy’s did not retreat or show weakness, and that they had grace under pressure. So he poured himself a glass of iced pumpkin juice, and turned to face the head table. The sorting hat had been set before it like every year, and like every year McGonagall stood in front of a few dozen children, with a scroll of names.

 

He managed to behave appropriately through the sorting, clapping politely for every new addition to Slytherin house. He drank his pumpkin juice. He ignored all of the sideways looks and whispers from the other students. Most of the time he simply let his mind drift, eager for the feast to be over and down in his bed in the relaxing cool of the dungeons. Until Dumbledore took his position at the head table for the beginning of term speech.

 

“Welcome, students to another year at Hogwarts. I am glad to see so many happy face in what seem like such dark times. First, I would like to draw your attention to the staff table, to note some changes. Our previous Care of Magical Creatures has decided to retire this year, in order to spend some much deserved time with his remaining limbs. In his stead, we should all welcome Rubeus Hagrid, who will be taking over his class.” The wizard paused and gestured to the head table. 

 

Hagrid awkwardly got to his feet and waved. His hair hand been manhandled into a ponytail and he was wearing a shirt and tie under his normal long coat. He smiled and gave the students a tiny wave before quickly sitting back down, his wooden chair creaking loudly in protest. 

 

Once the scattered applause from the students died down, Dumbledore turned to the other new face at the table. “I would also like to welcome Remus Lupin. He will be joining the staff as our new defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. He is an alumnus of this school and we wish him luck.” Remus managed a weak looking wave and then quickly sat back down, to slightly less enthusiastic applause. 

 

Snape stared at the other man with open contempt for the rest of the speech, as Dumbledore went through the basics, reminding students what items were banned from hallways, and telling them to stay out of the Forbidden Forest. Then, the headmaster’s face became much more serious, and the sky that covered the ceiling of the hall seemed to grow dark and stormy. 

 

“I also have some less pleasant guests to welcome to Hogwarts this year. In light of the escaped prisoners from Azkaban, Sirius Black and Bellatrix Lestrange, we will playing host to the dementors of Azkaban. This precaution was sent to us from the Ministry of Magic, and the dementors will remain here until the prisoners have been apprehended. While they are here, they shall be confined to the grounds. But I warn all of you, the dementors are not to be approached under any circumstances. They are here for your protection, but they are dangerous as well. I warn all of you to keep alert for all kinds of dangers.”

 

The students went silent, unsure what to do. Dumbledore quietly took his seat, and then on que the ceiling returned to stars and the food appeared. Then, they filled the hall with noise. More than a few of the students seemed to be staring at Draco and Harry, mostly those concerned with the reasons the dementors had been assigned to the school.

 

“I heard they’re the ones in danger,” said a pimple faced second year, staring at Draco from behind a small mountain of potatoes. “Malfoy and Potter are the ones those people want dead, and they’re putting us all at risk.”

 

“Smart money says that Malfoy’s father breaks out next. I hear it’s going to be like a little Death Eater reunion,” a Ravenclaw girl added.  

 

“Potter is always causing trouble!” A Hufflepuff boy whined, stabbing a bit of chicken with unnecessary force. “Every year since he got here, something bad as happened. At this rate, by the time he takes his NEWTs the school will have burned down! When is it enough?”

 

The girl sitting next to him nodded sympathetically. “I know, Malfoy’s a git but Potter’s a menace. I know he’s all special, Boy Who Lived and whatnot but really, it’s been twelve years since then and now he’s just causing trouble!” 

 

At one point the topic of the train seemed to arise at the Gryffindor table and Draco watched from the other side of the hall as a minor fight broke out. One of the older boys seemed particularly agitated, and was berating Harry, which caused one of the twins to jump to his defense. 

 

Draco barely picked at his meal, uninterested in food. As soon as he saw Snape leave the head table he got up and left the Great Hall, following the older man. “Professor, can I have the password for the common room?”

 

Snape stopped and turned around to see Draco following him. “Ah, Draco, yes it’s Merlin.” he paused and looked past Draco, over his shoulder. Remus Lupin was leaving the hall as well, quickly making for the main doors with some speed.

 

“Well, that might be the fastest we’ve lost a Defense teacher yet,” Draco mused, watching the man push open the doors and run out onto the grounds. The door banged shut and when he turned back to Snape the man was already heading off down a side hall, not the one that lead to the dungeons. “Professor? He called out after him, but Severus didn’t even break his stride.

 

Draco shook his head and headed down to the dungeons to his room. Going down into the dungeons was comfortable for him. He had done it so many times before, following the stairs further and further down. Inside, things were much as he remembered. When he looked out through the glass panes and into the depths of the lake he could see murky shapes moving through the water. He moved closer and pressed a hand against the cold glass, and then his vision was filled with red and purple as the giant squid swam by. 

 

Moving to his rooms he was surprised to see had been assigned a roommate for the year. In previous terms there hadn’t been enough students in Slytherin to fill all the dorms, and his status had earned him a private room all to himself. This year it seemed he would be sharing with Blaise Zabini, far from the worst that Slytherin had to offer. 

 

His trunk was set at the end of his bed, as usual, but there was also a parcel wrapped up in plain paper sitting on top of it. He sat down on his bed, enjoying the downy softness of the mattress, and pulled apart the twine knot. Inside the paper was a pair of Ron’s pajamas, the navy blue flannel worn so thin it was almost transparent in spots. He held them up to his nose and breathed in the familiar smell. He wasn’t sure exactly how Ron had gotten the pajamas to him, but he had a strong suspicion it involved his family’s old house elf, which Ron and Harry had told him now worked at the school. 

 

He pulled of his robes and uniform and pulled the pajamas on, the material soft against his skin. He pulled the curtains of the bed closed and crawled into the middle of the mattress, the bed bigger than the one he had at The Burrow. He missed it, he realized suddenly. He missed the chaos and the crowd, the smell of Molly cooking, and the sounds of Fred and George making trouble in their room. In the dorm, all alone, it was quiet. He wrapped himself tighter in his blanket, and closed his eyes, trying to remember the taste of Molly’s pancakes, and the sound of the boys arguing over a game of quidditch, and not the feeling of cold sinking into his bones or the death rattle of the dementors. 

 

He laid there for what felt like hours. He heard Blaise come in and change and get into bed. He thought about saying something, but he wasn’t sure what he would say even if he could summon the will to speak. It didn’t take long for Blaise’s breath to become even and quiet, and once he was asleep, Draco was left alone again in the dark. Laying there, all he could think of were his parents. 

 

He had no idea where his mother was, but he knew where Lucius was, and now he knew a bit of what his father was going through. He had hated Lucius, when his father was caught. It been hard to think of anything but what his parents had done to him, to their family, with their choices. But now, all he could think about was being surrounded by dementor’s day and night, the cold and then pain and the fear. His father hadn’t received the kiss yet, but he knew that was what the ministry wanted. Lucius hadn’t sent any letters to Draco from prison, and Draco hadn’t reached out to him either. Maybe he would, soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Ron stared at his belted up text book and grimaced. His mother had bought the last of his books, including the one for Care of Magical Creatures. The last few years the book had been the same one, Newt Scamander’s fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which had seemed good enough. The Monster Book of Monsters was a very different book. For starters, he wasn’t even sure if it  _ was _ a book, since it was furry and apparently had teeth.

 

“Have you looked at this yet?” He asked, holding his copy up to Harry and Seamus.

 

“No, mostly because it wouldn’t let me get that close.” Seamus gingerly held his up. A few of his fingers hand bandages wrapped around them, and his book was held shut with several lengths of kitchen twine. “Thing tried to take my bleeding fingers off.”

 

Harry held up his own copy. The thing looked like it had been mummified, wrapped in strips of an old shirt. “Yeah, I think we were meant to read the introduction chapter but I can’t open mine without it going rabid.” The book rumbled in his hands, growling under the wraps.

 

“Well at least we’re all equally ill prepared.” Ron laughed and tucked his book into his bag and headed out. The class was their first mixed one with Slytherin for the term, and he would have been lying if he said he wasn’t excited to see Draco. It had only been a day, but he missed the other boy. Was that what it was like having a boyfriend? Was Draco his boyfriend? He hadn’t thought about that part much when he kissed him. 

 

The thought of that kiss kept him occupied as they marched across the grounds to Hagrid’s hut. When they got there, there was already a crowd of students gathered, most holding their textbooks at some length, the pages bound with whatever was handy at the time. After a few moments of curious murmuring Hagrid emerged from his hut, wearing the same shirt he had at the sorting ceremony, but without the tie.

 

“Hello! Good morning students! I hope you’re all as excited as me for this term! I assume you all read the introduction in your books, and we’re all ready to jump in!” Hagrid laughed his booming laugh.

 

“Actually, er, Professor Hagrid, I think some of us had some trouble even opening the books.” Hermione held hers up as an example. Her fingers didn’t look bandaged, but her book was wrapped tightly in a very thick scarf, the ends tucked in so it was swaddled like an infant.

 

“Oh.” Hagrid’s smile faltered for a moment, and then he stepped forward and took the book gently, carefully unwrapping it while keeping his fingers out of way of harm. “See, the book is meant to teach you with more than words. You got to treat the book like a skittish animal, and treat it gently.” he held up the growling book and gently pet the fur on it’s spine with one large finger. After a moment the growling changed pitch, and suddenly the book was laying docile in his hands, the pages ruffling as it purred. “You see, if you can’t handle the book, then you aren’t ready to be hands on with any of the creatures in class.”

 

Around the cottage yard, students began carefully petting and whispering soft words to their books, slowly unbinding them so the book could be opened. Ron took that moment to sidle over to where Draco was standing, set off and apart from the other Slytherins. As soon as he got close he could see the dark circles under the boy’s eyes, and how he was even paler than normal. His book was still wrapped up, tied tightly with a number of ties in various shades of green.

 

“Need some help?” he offered, leaning in close and smiling. 

 

Draco looked up and blinked for a moment before offering a tired smile. “No need to save me this time Ron, I think I can manage a book.” he held up one slim finger in illustration and gently stroked the book, which shivered in his hands and then when perfectly still. “It’s a bit like dealing with an angry peacock and we had plenty of those at the manor.”

 

Ron laughed and pulled the belt off of his book. It snipped at his fingertips a bit, but he managed to soothe it with just a few pets. “Yeah, scabbers can be a bit nippy sometimes too. Usually when fred and George steal him to practice spells.” 

 

He waited until the book seemed calm and then opened it. Inside the book was filled with diagrams and illustrations of various magical creatures, and tips of how to interact with them on their own terms. There were even sections on sentient magical creatures and suggestions for useful phrases, or things to avoid saying or doing so they wouldn’t become upset. He noted with some amusement that the illustration of a male giant looked a good deal like Hagrid himself, with a wild mane of dark hair and a long beard, only larger.   

 

“Hmm, maybe a relative?” Draco looked over Ron’s shoulder at the book and gestured at Hagrid. 

 

Before Ron had a chance to say anything, there was an outburst of noise form a cluster of Slytherins. Pansy was standing there with her finger jammed in her mouth, and her book was on the ground, flapping around in the dirt like an injured bird, making angry noises. “This book bit me!” She yelled, voice muffled because of her thumb stuck between her lips. “I won’t take a class where the books bite!”

 

Hagrid sighed and strode over, picking up the book easily and settling it down. “Now listen Miss Parkinson, you’re a third year now and should be able to handle a paper cut.” he carefully pulled a few bits of dried grass from between the pages.

 

“Maybe you should try something more your speed Pansy, I bet Binns has a spot or two open in Prehistoric Magical History!” Seamus called out, his own book happily cuddled in his arms. 

 

Pansy screwed up her face and reached up, snatching her book out of Hagrid’s hands. “I’m fine! I just have an especially moody book is all,” She gave the book a few half hearted pats and it laid still in er arms, letting out the odd grumble here and there.

 

Hagrid watched er for a moment and then shrugged. “Now, moving on from books, I have something very special set up for class today!” he waved to the students to follow him. “It’s here on the edge of the forest. Now, I have to warn you, stay back until I call you forward. These fellas can do a bit more damage than a book.”

 

Ron looked over at Draco and the two exchanged shrugs as they followed their classmates around the back of the hut. Behind it was a large fenced in area, the ground strewn with fresh hay. And tethered along the fence posts, were hippogriffs. A dozen of them, all fully grown, scraping at the ground with their hooves or pulling fish out of long troughs with their claws.

 

They were the most amazing animals Ron had ever seen. When they flexed their wings they were at least five meters across. The colors ranged form dappled grey and silver to shining gold and chestnut brown tinged with rose gold. They were all beautiful, their feathers shining in the morning sun and the eyes sharp and clear.   

 

“Now, children, who can tell me the name of these creatures?” Hagrid asked, walking up to the gate and pulling an apple out of a bag hanging from the post.

 

To everyone’s surprise, Neville was the first with his hand raised. “It’s a hippogriff sir. I know because my gran had little china figurines of them on the mantle.”

 

“Good job my boy! Point to Gryffindor, and you get to give them a treat.” He handed the apple to Neville and pushed the boy against the fence. “Just go ahead and throw it high up into the air, they’ll do the rest.”

 

Neville took the apple with a shaky hand and wound up, tossing the apple almost straight up. Quick as a flash the golden hippogriff launched into the air, the rope attached to it’s harness trailing behind it, and snatched the apple out of the sky, swallowing it down with a snap of it’s beak and a loud crunch. When it touched back down to the ground it fanned it’s wings and a tiny cloud of hay and dust kicked up around it. A second later and the entire group of children broke out into cheers, each one craning to get a better look and begging for an apple to throw.

 

“Okay children, one at a time, one at a time!” Hagrid waited for them all to settle down and get into a neat line before opening the gate and letting them in. A few students clustered around each hippogriff, keeping their distance as Hagrid called out instructions. “The first thing you need to do is say hello. Every creature needs to be introduced to people in different ways. Now these here hippogriffs is formal folks. They would like a bow, and your name, said in a calm voice. Pretend you’re meeting the Minister of Magic or something, and you should do okay.” 

 

Ron and Draco looked at the hippogriff that they had ended up with, a dappled grey one with bright orange eyes and a tail shot through with pure black. Ron introduced himself first, saying his name and bowing low. When he looked up, the creature was responding in kind, lowering it’s head and stretching it’s wings back. 

 

Then Draco was up. The blond took a hesitant step forward and tipped his head forward. “Draco Malfoy.” He stayed there, with his head lowered, eyes on the ground, and Ron watched as the hippogriff seemed to consider the gesture. He held his breath as the hippogriff took a step forward, the rope pulling through the hay behind it, and it sniffed at the exposed pale expanse of Draco’s neck, it’s breath ruffling his silvery hair. For a moment Ron was sure it was going to snap at him, he felt his hand moving to his wand, and then the hippogriff let out a low noise and nudged Draco’s hair with it’s beak and lowered it’s head next to his. 

 

“Good job Malfoy!” Hagrid called out, sounding surprised. “Buckbeak there can be a touch moody but it looks like he’s taken to you.”  

 

“Good job,” Ron agreed, feeling the tension leave his body. He grabbed an apple from a nearby bag and handed it Draco. “Here, try giving him this.”

 

Draco placed the apple on his palm and held it out, carefully keeping his fingers down and out of the way. Slowly Buckbeak approached, sniffed the apple, and then delicately took the apple from Draco’s hand, tossing it into the air and then swallowing it.

 

“Good!” Hagrid boomed, patting one of the chestnut hippogriffs on the rump. “Now anyone who’s made nice with their hippogriff can try petting them. Gently mind, they won’t thank you for plucked feathers.” He grabbed a burlap sack full of boars hair brushes and curry combs. “Here’s some brushes and combs, hippogriffs are fastidious fellows, like being neat and orderly.” He passed the sack around to the students. 

 

Pansy stared into the sack and shook her head. “How is being a glorified pet groomer a useful class?” she demanded, shoving the sack into Blaise’s hands. He had ended up her partner, paired up with a dappled white and grey hippogriff that seemed more interest in fish than them. 

 

Hagrid turned to the rest of the class. “Well, anyone have an idea why hippogriffs might be a good start for this class?” He looked around the paddock, watching them.

 

Hermione stuck her hand up into the air, pushing herself onto her toes with her enthusiasm. “I know! Newt Scamander’s mother was a breeder of hippogriffs. His exposure to the animals as a child encouraged him to learn more about other magical creatures, which is why he wrote a book on them, making this an appropriate first lesson for this course.” 

 

Hagrid looked impressed. “Good job. Five points for Gryffindor.” He glanced down at his pocket watch. “Well class is over soon, so everyone put your supplies back in the sacks and get ready to head back up to the school.”

 

The students gathered together at the gate and dropped their items in the bags, grabbing their textbooks and bags as they got ready for their next class. Ron pulled Draco to the side as they started up the lawn. “Are you, are you okay?” he whispered, looking over at the Slytherins, who seemed to be taking their time getting to their next classes. “You look a bit tired.”

 

Draco smoothed his hair back and flashed a grin. “Are you suggesting I could ever look anything less than perfect Ron?”

 

Ron rolled his eyes. “I’m suggesting you didn’t sleep.” He leaned in closer. “Was it the dementors? Harry said he had nightmares too, so it could be-”

 

“Having a nice chat with your boyfriend Malfoy?” Pansy arched one overly plucked eyebrow. “Goodness your standards have slipped.”

 

Crabbe and Goyle towered behind her, and the two of them guffawed loudly. Both of their ties were crooked, and when Ron stared he could see there was a chunk of tomato skin lodged in Crabbe’s teeth. “Yeah, boyfriend.”

 

“Ah, you think of that all on your own Goyle or did Pansy write it down for you?” Draco asked, voice flat. When the other boy didn’t respond he laughed. “Oh, right, reading isn’t really your strong suit, huh?”

 

Pansy grabbed Goyle by the sleeve, and Crabbe by the end of his tie and started up the path to the school, face going beet red. “Very funny Draco. Have fun with that muggle lover Weasley.”

 

“Have fun with your boyfriends Pansy! The two of them combined, it’s almost like one chap of average intelligence, hm?” Draco called after her, biting back a laugh when Crabbed stepped on Pansy’s foot. He looked up at Ron. “Well, that went well.”

 

Ron shrugged. “Better than the next is going to.”

 

“Next is potions,” Draco pointed out.

 

“Exactly.” Ron grimaced. 

 

Draco took Ron by the arm and started up towards the castle. “Come on now, you lived with Snape for weeks, shouldn’t you be done hating him by now? You saw he wasn’t so bad really.”

 

“He makes Neville cry Draco!” Ron snapped, pulling his arm away. “He makes Neville cry every term. And he’s mean to Harry and Hermione and ME! He’s mean to everyone in Gryffindor! And most of the Hufflepuffs too.”

 

Draco shrugged. “Does making Hufflepuffs cry even count really? I mean, they do it at the drop of a wand you know.”

 

Ron sighed. “You know, being my boyfriend doesn’t mean you can’t be a complete arse you know that?” He turned and took a few angry steps up the lawn, and then paused to look back. “Oh come on, you can’t just pout here, we’ll get detention if we’re late.”

 

Draco stared at him, unmoving. “B-boyfriend?” he asked, voice just above a whisper. 

 

Ron froze, a curse on the tip of his tongue. He hadn’t really meant to say that part out loud. But now the owl was out of the cage and there wasn't much he could do about it. “Uh, yeah. I mean, yes, I thought, are we not?” he coughed awkwardly into his fist and stared at the ground. 

 

Draco rolled his eyes and strode over, grabbing Ron by the wrist. “Goodness Weasley, I knew Granger was the brains of your little outfit but I didn’t think you were this dense.” He cut Ron off before the redhead could respond, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “But yes, I’m happy to be your boyfriend. Now let’s hurry to Potions before Snape takes away every point either of our houses have. Can’t have Hufflepuff winning the house cup.” 


	9. Chapter 9

“This is miserable,” Run grumbled, wrapping his scarf tighter around his neck and tucking his nose into the soft, if somewhat damp folds. “Why couldn’t they call the game for rain?”

 

Hermione shrugged and made another valiant attempt at pulling her hat down over her hair, which with the help of the humidity seemed to have almost doubled in size. “They never do I'm not even sure how Harry or Draco will be able to see the snitch in all this.” 

 

Ron groaned. “Don’t remind me. The rain is bad enough, but i have no idea what to do about my best friend and by boyfriend competing. I mean, who do I even route for?” He looked around furtively. The stands were packed despite the weather, the first game of the season being a match up between the long standing rivals of Slytherin and Gryffindor. 

 

The whole school had been on edge since the beginning of term, and now he could feel the energy building up like static in the air. There had even been a few minor scuffles between Gryffindor and Slytherin students in the halls. Thankfully none had involved him or Draco or Harry, but he was almost certain that one nasty case of purple boils on a fourth year Slytherin boy was the work of Fred or George. 

 

They settled into their seats, the ones around them rapidly filling up. Looking around the pitch, it seemed almost every student was present, and the noise of their chatter combined with the rain was bordering on deafening. Just as the last of the crowd got into their seats, a voice came out of the speakers. 

 

“Ladies, and gentlemen, wizards and witches of all ages! Welcome to the first quidditch match of the season! “ Lee Jordan paused to let the answering roar of the fans die down before continuing. “We begin this year with an exciting match up, a duel between long time rivals Gryffindor-” another pause while students cheered and red penants were waved, the cloth sagging in the rain. “And Slytherin!” less cheers that time, but a ripple of green as Slytherin fans cried out. 

 

At that, both teams rose up into the air. From his position it was hard for Ron to make out most of the players, but Draco’s hair made him easy to spot, and he had been watching Harry fly for years. He kept his eye on them as they lazily circled their teammates. On the ground, Madame Hooch opened the box containing the balls and released them, the snitch was all but invisible in the rain, but as soon as the little golden ball left her hand, he could see both seekers angle their brooms after it, their heads following the movement.   

 

A moment later the sky was full of players, all of them chasing each other through the rain. It was impressive to see, despite the low visibility, the players seemed completely focused on the game. It made sense, Slytherin and Gryffindor were the two best teams at Hogwarts, some players even moved form the house teams to professional teams after graduation. Sitting there and watching, Ron could see how skilled they really were. It only took a few minutes for Gryffindor took the lead with the first score. As soon as the quaffle went through the hoop, the stadium was alive with energy, students jumping up and shouting and waving their arms, breath steaming in the cold air. Ron even let out a small cheer himself, figuring Draco couldn’t blame him for showing a tiny bit of school spirit.

 

“Go Gryffindor go!”

 

“Yeah! Come on Weasleys! Show those Slytherins a thing or two!”

 

Ron watched as one of his brothers, it was hard to tell which from a distance, hit a bludger right at the Slytherin keeper, opening up the goal post for another score. Angelina pointed her broom towards the goal and leaned forward, broom speeding up as she got ready to throw the ball.  

  
  


Before the ball could leave Angelina’s hand, the stadium went quite. The air, already chilly and wet, seemed to grow heavy. The ball fell out of Angelina’s hand and fell to the ground, and at the same time, the dementors rose. There were at least a dozen of them, a swirling black mass rising up into the air. 

 

Ron felt his chest tighten at the sight of them, and then rain, suddenly freezing, stung his face. He watched, frozen in place as the dementors spread from the center of the pitch, swooping over the students. Then, the screaming started. Ron spun in his seat to see the other students scrambling to exit the stands, crying and stepping on one another's robes in attempt to get away. The teachers in the stands had their wands out, and most were shooting spells up at the sky, desperately trying to ward off the dementor attack. Ron watched Mcgonagall point her wand in the sky and send out a silvery veil that covered half the stand. The dementors recoiled as if in pain, rounding on the players instead. Half of them had shot up higher into the sky, clearly attempting to use the cloud cover and height to escape, but the dementors  shot after after them, faster than a broom. The rest seemed unable to even move, hovering in the air and clutching their brooms desperately. 

 

Ron pushed through the students in front of him, shoving people out of the way as he tried to get to the railing. “Harry! Draco!” He stumbled as someone stepped on his foot, falling forward and just catching himself on the rail. He managed to pull himself up just in time to see two figures falling toward the ground, brooms lazily floating in the air. 

 

He grabbed the rail and started to haul himself over it, not even sure what his plan was, just sure that somehow, some way, he had to get to them. He had to save them, no matter what. Hermione grabbed a hold of the back of his robe and pulled. 

 

“Ron! You can’t they’re-”

 

“ARRESTO MOMENTUM!” A voice boomed out, louder than the screams and shouts in the stadium. 

 

Harry and Draco’s bodies lurched in the air, arms and legs waving as they continued to fall, albeit it slightly slower. Ron couldn’t take his eyes off of them, didn’t even blink, as they hit the wet ground with a sickening sort of thud. They laid there on the ground, unmoving, faces pale and uniforms splattered with mud and what looked, from a distance, like it might have been blood.

 

“Oh thank goodness, Dumbledore is here…” 

 

Ron could hear Hermione behind him but he kept his eyes on the two boys lying on the field of the pitch. He felt her grab his sleeve and pull a few times, and slowly he let himself be lead away from the edge of the stand and down the stairs, and out onto the grass. When he spared a glance upward he could see a silvery shine in the air, driving the dementors away. When he squinted, to try and make out the shape of it against the clouds, he could have sworn it looked like a phoenix. 

 

Hermione pulled them through the crowd, pushing against the flow of traffic, and onto the field. McGonagall and Snape were already there, carefully levitating Harry and Draco off of the ground.

 

“Are-are they?” Ron worried at his lip with his teeth, unable to continue.

 

“They’re not dead Weasley, if that’s what you’re asking,” Snape answered brusquely. “But they need to be taken to the hospital wing right away.”

 

McGonagall shook her head sadly. “These dementors are the problem, a school is no place for dangerous magical creatures!”

 

Snape gave her a level look. “Yes, I believe I voiced a similar opinion myself.

 

The other professor snapped her mouth shut at that and turned, carefully taking Harry up the field, Snape following along after with Draco.

 

The hospital wing was filled with students by the time they got there. Madame Pomfrey was overseeing a group of upperclass Hufflepuffs as they handed out squares of chocolate to ashen faced students, and gave out hot tea and warm blankets to those soaked in the rain. Madame Pomfrey’s eyes went wide when the professors came in with Harry and Draco.

 

“What in the world happened to these two?” She waved her wand and two pairs of sheets on two perfectly made beds pulled away to make room for them. She marched over and checked both their pulses and breathing, tutting under her breath. “These two are going to need more than chocolate. Broken arms,broken legs too by the looks of it.”

 

Ron stayed pressed against the wall, watching. Against the pure white of the sheets, Draco somehow looked even paler, as if his skin was see through. There was a bruise spreading darkly along one side of his jaw, and his hair was stuck to his head from the rain and mud. Ron tried not to focus on that and instead kept his eyes trained on the barely perceptible rise and fall of Draco’s chest, measuring each shallow breath. 

 

Madame Pomfrey set to work, summoning a few bottles of potions and making notes on a complicated series of charts. She was checking her patients pupils when the door swung open and Dumbledore marched in.

 

“Madame Pomfrey? A word?” He stood by the door of her office, waiting. He didn’t so much as look around the room, let alone spare a minute for Harry or Draco. 

 

Pomfrey shook her head and followed the headmaster into the office, closing the door behind them with a quiet click. Ron took advantage and moved between harry and Draco’s beds. Both of the seekers looked small, swallowed up by the plush pillows and fluffy duvets. He carefully took one of Draco’s small pale hands into his own, feeling the delicate bones of his fingers. They looked undamaged, and stripped of the gloves he had been wearing they were still clean, but very cold. He pressed Draco’s hand between both of his own, squeezing slightly to warm them. 

 

“It-it’s going to be okay,” He whispered, voice wavering.

 

Somewhere behind him, a person coughed awkwardly. Ron spun around to find Hermione, McGonagall, and Snape watching him.

 

“What?” Ron demanded, face going beet red. 

 

“I think i may be time for you to return to the dormitories, Mr. Weasley,” McGonagall said, clearly holding back a laugh. “The prefects should be there, and the headmaster will address the incident at the quidditch match tomorrow.” 

 

Ron hesitated for just a moment, Draco’s hand still held tight. 

 

“You can stop molesting my god son now Weasley, I promise to keep an eye on him tonight.” Snape sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Now, off with both of you.” he motioned with his hand, shooing off both Ron and Hermione. 

 

Ron gave him a long look and then nodded. “Okay, but I’ll be back in the morning.”

 

“Of course you will Weasley.” 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay but I had some slight re-writes to do, including adding this chapter. Hope you enjoy!!

Sirius crouched and slipped under the crumbling fence, fur catching slightly on the splintered wood. It was raining, and the mud squished under the pads of his paws, but he had managed to grab a bag of day old pastries from one of the shops before it was thrown in the garbage, so it was what counted as a good day. 

 

Once he made it into the shack he took a moment to sniff the air, careful to make sure there were no intruders. The air was ust as still and cold and stale as it had been when he left, so he dropped the bag and let himself shift back into his normal shape, back cracking loudly as he stood upright for the first time in days. 

 

There was still some furniture in the shack, old thing left to mouder of the years. Some if it he had dragged in himself in his school days, when the shack had felt less big and empty. He tore the plastic bag open with his teeth and pulled out a pumpkin pasty that had most of the icing flaked off. It was good, and he finished it in only a few bited, before moving on to a cauldron cake. The sugar was almost enough to chase away the cold empty feeling that had been  lingering since he left Azkaban. 

 

He was part way through a chocolate croissant, and just beginning to feel full, when there was a sound from the floor above. He froze, a bite of bread still in his mouth. He wrinkled his nose and took a deep breath, but as a human, all he could catch from that distance was the smell of dust falling from the ceiling. The floorboard creaked, and he could make out the sound of boots treading across the boards. He growled, tossed the food aside and transformed back into Padfoot. He was on the ground, crouching behind a tattered velvet chair by the time the person came down the stairs. he saw the light from their wand first, and when the face came into view, he couldn’t hold back the whimper that escaped his throat.

 

Remus looked thin, as he always had in school, but his clothes were clean and eyes were the same, big and brown and beautiful despite the permanent dark circles beneath them.

 

“P-padfoot?” Remus froze, wand still up. “Is that you Sirius?”

 

Sirius hesitated for just a moment, and then transformed back, shaking the dirty hair out of his face. “Yeah...it’s me Remus.” Before he could so much as blink, he was thrown back and slammed against a wall, Remus’ forearm pressed hard into his throat. “R-Remus!” He spluttered, feet kicking at the floor and trying to find purchase. 

 

Remus was slight, but he was surprisingly strong, and his eyes were wide and wild, teeth bared. “I should do it. I should kill you right now.” he pressed harder. “I could do it, no wand needed, I could just kill you Sirius.” He growled and blinked rapidly, eyes suddenly filling with tears.

 

“You could,” Sirius acknowledged, slumping against the wall. “You could kill me right now Remus. But, I don’t think you want to kill me.”

 

Remus gave a short laugh, tears trickling down his face. “Oh well I didn’t think you were a killer either Sirius, but sometime we surprise ourselves.” He dropped his wand and wrapped his fingers around Sirius’ neck, short neat nails digging into the pale skin. “I trusted you. James and Lily trusted you. I...I loved you.” He dug his fingers i harder, drawing a small gasp of pain from Sirius.

 

“I know, Remus, I know, I love you too.” Sirius coughed, he could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. “And I know you’re angry-”

 

“Angry!?” Remus’ face contorted in rage. “I spent so long trying to defend you, I spent so long  _ hoping _ you were innocent, that at some point in the trial it would all make sense, but it never did. And what you did to Peter…”

 

Sirius lashed out at the sound of his name, catching Remus by the hair a the back of his neck and pulling, hard. “Don’t you dare talk to me about  _ poor little Peter Pettigrew,” _ he sneered. “He’s the one who did this, who ruined everything!” 

 

Remus yanked backward, pulling Sirius off balance as he shook the taller man off. “Yes, he’s the one who ruined everything by trying to stop you! The one brave thing he ever did in his sad short life and-”

 

“That rat was never brave! He was the worst Gryffindor in the world, a traitor and a coward.” Sirius lashed out and grabbed Remus’ wand off the floor. He leveled it at the other man, the wood strange and wrong between his fingers. It was smaller than his own, with a different wood and core. But he could feel magic tingling along his fingertips. It wouldn’t be the first time he had used Remus’ wand.

 

Remus’ face went an ashen grey color, and he swallowed loudly. “A-are you going to kill me now, Sirius?” He fought to keep the slight quaver out of his voice. Sirius had always been the better fighter, whether dueling with wands or just wielding his fists. 

 

Sirius shook his head. “No, Remus, no, I’m not going to kill you.” His next move was almost too fast to follow, He tossed the wand to his off hand and lunged forward, punching Remus in the face and knocking him to the ground. It gave him just enough time to cast a single spell before the other man got back to his feet. “Petrificus Totalus!” 

 

There was a quick flash of dull blue light and remus went stiff as a board, his eyes opening wide. Then his back bowed and he bared his teeth, hissing in pain as the spell seemed to try and stretch him past his limits. Sirius watched him struggle from a slight distance until he was sure the spell had worked.

 

“Okay, good, now that you’re more of a captive audience, I can explain.” Sirius sat down a few feet away and took a deep breath. “I was never the secret keeper for the Potters.” He could see Remus’ eyes narrow. “It was Peter, we thought that no one would suspect he was the one trusted with such an important task, and that any attack would be focused on me. It was...it was a good plan knowing only what we knew then. What we didn’t know was that Peter was working for Voldemort, and that he betrayed everyone. He faked his own death remus. He transformed into a rat and he ran, leaving me to take the blame.”

 

When he was done he raised the stolen wand again. “Finite Incantum.”

 

Remus gasped in a mix of relief and pain as he body finally went slack. He tried to push himself up with shaking arms, but he couldn’t quite hold his own weight. “Okay, and why should I believe any of this?” He panted, flexing his fingers in an attempt to regain feeling in his numb digits.

 

“Because you knew me? Maybe loved me?” Sirius shrugged and tossed the wand to Remus. “But you don’t just have to believe me. I know where Peter is Remus, I can prove that I’m not lying.”

 

Remus grasped the wand with a shaking hand, but didn’t point it at Sirius, or cast any spell. “Oh? And hows that?”

 

“He’s here, Remus.” Sirius bit back a hysterical giggle. “He’s here at Hogwarts.”


	11. Chapter 11

 

“Ron for the tenth time, I AM FINE.” Draco waved his hand, trying to shoo Ron off as though he were a very persistent pixie. He had been released from the Hospital Wing that morning, allowed to continue with his classes as normal, though Madame Pomfrey had made it very clear that any strenuous activity was still strictly off limits. A directive that had NOT made Draco blush at all.

 

Ron deflated slightly, and sulkily took a bite of his toast, looking a bit like a kicked dog. He had been up early to retrieve Draco from the hospital wing, but the other boy had been in a snit all morning. Harry had been testy as well, anxious to put the incident behind him and just get on with his day.

 

“Sorry, Mum likes to hover and dear Ronnikins takes after her more than dad,” Fred or George said, leaning over to grab a few sausages with a quick jab of a fork. “Little mother hen that one.”

 

Ron scowled up at his brother and shoved a bit of crust into his mouth. “Well, we’ll ‘ee who’s a ‘other hen after ‘efence class huh?”

 

Hermione stared at Ron in horror as he tried to cram a bit of half chewed bread back in his mouth. “Ronald! Ugh!” She shivered and turned to Harry. “Are you okay to go to Defense Against the Dark Arts today? I’ve heard today is to be a practical lesson.” She reached out and gently touched Harry on the shoulder.

 

Harry nodded and swallowed the last of his tea before gingerly getting to his feet. “Yeah, no sense in going from laying in the bed in the hospital wing to laying in a bed in my dorm, right/” He forced a smile that distracted somewhat from the shadows under his eyes.

 

Draco heaved a sigh and got to his feet as well. “Yes well, I’ll tell you all about it, Slytherin has that class first today.” he glanced up at the head table and noticed Professor Lupin was missing. “Although Lupin doesn’t seem to be here.”

 

Hermione chewed her lip. “Yes, he does seem to miss meals rather a lot doesn’t he? And he’s so thin already…”

 

Ron scoffed and grabbed an extra scone, cramming it in his pocket as he gathered his things. “Oh don’t worry so much Hermione, I mean what are the odds we lose three Defense teachers in a row?”

 

Draco ignored the Gryffindor squabbling and gathered his own things as he prepared to leave the hall. He spared a glance towards his own house table as he left, and found a number of familiar faces glaring daggers back at him. He settled his features into a cold sneer and swished his robes around as he turned to exit. He didn’t have to waste any thoughts on them, not when he was so good at being aloof already.

 

He enjoyed his solitary walk up to the classroom. In his few years at Hogwarts he had gotten fairly good at navigating the castle, knowing which stairs lead to which halls or towers, which doors lead to classrooms and which to abandoned storage closets. When he had been a new student older classmates had sought to ingratiate themselves with him (and his family) by offering to show him all of the hidden ways around the school they knew of. Now he put that all to use and wound his way through the corridors in peace.

 

Draco made it the classroom ahead of the other students, just in time to see Professor Lupin unlocking the classroom door, looking a bit worse for wear than he had on the train. Floating behind him was a large wooden armoire, a dusty old antique looking thing with flowers carved around the top. But that wasn’t what was interesting about the furniture in question, what was interesting was the act it was tied up yards of rope. 

 

Lupin cursed under his breath as he attempted to guide the massive armoire into the classroom through the door, bumping the top of it on the door frame. The whole thing seemed to shake angrily, something inside bumping and scraping at the wood. Lupin thumped the wood with his fist and managed to float the massive thing inside the classroom. Draco crept up behind him and watched as the man went about clearing the desks and chairs from the space, waving his wanp with a limp wrist as though too tired to hold it aloft properly.

 

“Is that part of the lesson today?” Draco asked, stepping into the room. It was still a few minutes before class started but he was curious.

 

Professor Lupin jumped, spinning around with his wand up as though ready to duel. He blushed and let his arm fall to his side again when he saw it was a student. “Ah, yes. Sorry if I’m jumpy, just, handing some dangerous magical creatures here.” He gestured to the armoire, which thumped as though in response to the attention.

 

Draco looked at it carefully, eyes going wide with sudden understanding. “It’s a boggart isn’t it?” He stepped forward, circling the cabinet from a distance. “We had one in the manor once you know, father had to call in someone to get rid of it. Damn thing was nesting in one of the crates of antique silver in the attic.

 

Remus flattened his lips in a wan attempt at a smile. “Boggarts like cold, wet, dark, and they like places filled with fear already. It’s like a banquet, all ready and waiting for them.” He reached out as though to pat Draco on the shoulder, and then seemed to think better of it. “Are you alright participating in class today? I know you just got out of the hospital wing and…” he hesitated before powering on. “And I know some students see worse things in the boggart than others.”

 

Draco turned away and studied his reflection in the mirrored front of the armoire. “No, I’m fine for class today Professor, thank you.” He stared at his reflection for a moment. He kept catching glimpses of himself in things and being surprised at how every day he looked a bit more like his father’s old school portraits. The blonde hair, the sharp cheekbones, the cold eyes. He reached up and ruffled his hair a bit. During his stay at the burrow the twins had taken all his hair products and put it down the drain in what they called an act of spontaneous generosity. 

 

Remus spoke, just above a whisper. “You look like your mother too you know.”

 

Draco whipped around, ice eyes wide. He hadn’t thought of it before but it was likely Remus had met his father, maybe even had been at school with him for a time. He was the right age and Hogwarts was the only major magical school in Britain. “What/”

 

Remus shrugged and busied himself with his notes, not looking at the boy again. “I was just saying you look a bit like your mum sometimes. I think too many people here only look at students and see their fathers.”

 

Draco bit the inside of his cheek and nodded. Narcissa. He hadn’t had word from his mother or aunt yet, but every bit of post he had he checked, hoping against hope for something, anything, from the woman. He had no idea how to feel about his mother. What was she doing out there without her husband and son? had she joined up with his aunt? Or was she further abroad? Bulgaria maybe, or even America? Had she dyed her hair and assumed a new name? Sold off some family jewel to try and buy a new life?

 

His thoughts of family were interrupted when the door swung open and the classroom slowly flooded with other students. They chatted idly as they filed in and set down their bags and books, gathering together in the center of the room. Draco gave Lupin one last lingering glance before falling in with his housemates.

 

“Well, welcome class!” Professor Lupin moved to the front of the room and forced a smile, clapping his hands together and rubbing his palms. “Who’s excited for today’s practical lesson/”

 

There was a dull murmur in response. Slytherin House had not decided they liked Lupin yet. true his classes weren’t too boring, but he didn’t play favorites, and their head of house openly disliked him. Plus, he was obviously poor and from a no name family. 

 

The professor soldiered on, moving to the side to draw attention to the cabinet. “today we have a very interesting hands on demonstration with a dark magical creature-”

 

“Magical Creatures is a separate class!” Goyle exclaimed from the back of the group, sounding confused. “If we ‘ave Magical Creatures with Hagrid already why are we doing it here?”

 

Professor Lupin’s smile faltered. “Well that’s  _ Care _ of Magical creatures with Professor Hagrid. he is here to teach you how to co-exist and acre for magical creatures which can peacefully interact with wizarding kin, and even be beneficial to us. In this class we will be learning how to fight the less friendly ones.” The cabinet rattled ominously behind him, drawing the students attention. “Now, any idea on what magical creature might be in this armoire?”

 

Draco let the silence hang in the air for a few seconds before slowly raising his hand into the air. “It’s a boggart sir. A nuisance, but not overly dangerous to most adult witches or wizards.”

 

Remus shot the boy a grateful smile. “Yes, good job, five points for Slytherin.” This seemed to noticeable life the spirits of the Slytherins in the room. “This is indeed a boggart. I have managed to isolate it into this wardrobe so we make turns practicing a defensive spell on it.” He looked around the room and then pointed at Blaise Zabini. “Mr. Zabini, please come forward if you will.”

 

The teen glanced at his classmates and then shrugged, stepping forward with a slight swagger. Draco was impressed, it was a good pick for the first student to take a turn with the monster. Zabini enjoyed attention of any sort and performed better in front of a crowd. Remus waited for the rest of the class to fall back and give the dark haired boy some space before grabbing hold of the rope holding the wardrobe shut. 

 

“Now, when I open the door, the boggart will be released and assume the shape that represents a fear of the nearest person. Your job is to stay calm, and use a very simple but effective spell.” Lupin gestured with his hand to demonstrate the wand motion. “When the boggart comes out you must picture a way to make what you fear amusing, and then say ‘Riddikulus’!”

 

Blaise nodded and raised his wand arm in preparation. Lupin waved his wand and the rope unwound, and the door of the closet swung open. First there was nothing but the darkness inside, and then stepped out-

 

“Issat a toad?” Crabbe asked from the back, filling the awkward silence as everyone gazed at the form the monster had taken. “It looks like a big toad.”

 

The boggart was indeed a toad, albeit a massive one. The creature was easily four feet tall and almost as wide, and it seemed to be oozing an excessive amount of slime, which was pooling on the wooden floor around it. As the students watched it puffed out it’s chest and stomach, the skin wobbling and going thin enough to see light through as it croaked. 

 

Blaise spun around and shot a glare at his housemates, wand gripped tightly in his hand. “They’re disgusting and they cause warts and they make awful sounds and once my cousin hid one in my bed!” 

 

The toad croaked again, and then opened it’s huge maw and flicked out it’s huge tongue, the tip of it just missing Blaise’s face. Th teen let out a small shriek and recoiled, looking a bit sick.   

 

The professor stepped forward, wand up. “Calm down Mr. Zabini, just concentrate on the toad being something funny, something that won’t scare you, and then say the spell.”

 

Blaise snorted. “I didn’t say I’m scared of it!” he protested, biting back another squeak as the toad took a soggy step forward. “I just think it’s disgusting!”

 

“Come on Blaise, get on with it!”

 

“So this why you never joined toad choir when I asked?”

 

“You gonna be afraid of Longbottom and his little pet now, huh?”

 

Draco bit the inside of his cheek and watched his classmates heckle Blaise. It was interesting to watch. he had rarely been the subject of bullying or even teasing before his father’s arrest, but now he could see how cruel his classmates could be, how unkind their families had pushed them to become. Showing any weakness or difference put you at risk, even a pretty rich boy like Blaise.

 

But the taunting seemed to motivate his roommate. Blaise squared his shoulders and swung around, wand already in motion. “Riddikulus!” he shouted, tip of his wand just inches form the toad.

 

The creature swelled, as if to croak again, and the class took a step back, ready for another swipe of it’s slimy tongue. But this time continued to swell and well until it popped. Pansy let out a yelp as it exploded into a rain of silvery confetti which settled onto the floor and then seemed to suck itself back into the confines of the closet. The door slid shut and after a brief pause, the class broke out in cheers.

 

Blaise held up his fists in triumph and was welcomed back into the crowd as other students swelled forward to take his place. Lupin organized them into a rough queue and let the students take turns facing off the the boggart. It morphed as each student stepped up. A basilisk to a worm, a grimm into a fancy French poodle, Swooping Evil into butterfly. 

 

Draco watched and wondered what the boggart would be for him. Not a basilisk, no, snakes of any size were fine. Not a spider or a toad. His father? He could imagine Lucius climbing out of the wardrobe, a stern look on his face. But he wasn’t that tiny child who looked at his father like a god anymore. Voldemort? No, in his mind’s eye the Dark lod was nothing but a shadowy figure in a robe, a more solid dementor. A thought of Bella, wide eyed and cackling, lipstick smeared and hair in a disarray as she pointed her wand, a flash of light-screaming.

 

Bella wasn’t some faraway monster lying in wait in the shadows of a rain-forest, or a childhood nightmare in flesh. No, she was real, too real and too close. Mad from Azkaban and grief at the loss of her Dark Lord and possibly working with their cousin. She was a killer, a torturer, and she was his family, one of the last ones left.

 

“-alfoy? Mr. Malfoy?”  Professor Lupin moved in front of Draco, waving his hand in front of him to draw his attention. 

 

Draco snapped to attention and saw his classmates were packing up their things, the boggart stowed away back in it’s cupboard. Class was over, and he hadn’t faced his fears at all. Possibly it was for the best.

 

“Ah, yes, sorry.” Draco shot a glance at his classmates. “I didn’t get a turn today.”

 

Lupin shrugged. “Not everyone did I’m afraid. It’s a large class and I need to the boggart for next class as well, can’t wear the beast out o the Gryfindors might have to easy a time of it. Don’t want that now do we?”

 

Draco hesitated until he saw the man’s soft, sad little smile. “Yes well, I imagine some of them need the extra help.”

 

The professor smiled and waved the boy out of the room before turning to face the cupboard. It was going to be a long day and he was already exhausted. he liked teaching, and the boggart lesson was a good on, but all he could think of was how badly he wanted to sleep. He felt liek he hadn’t rested properly since he had spoken to Sirius.

 

Everything would have been easier if he still had the Mauraders Map, but the parchment was long gone and he hadn’t been able to copy the spell work on his own so far. He had even considered asking one of the other professors about trying, but when he ad turned to look at Professor Flitwick to ask a few questions about the charms work involved he had caught Snape staring him down and all the words had left him. The man had been helpful since his return to Hogwarts, there was no denying it. in fact, if it weren’t for Severus he wouldn’t even be able to work at the school. The wolfsbane potion he had made was invaluable to him, and he was sure that even with the recipe he couldn't recreate the work on his own. 

 

He had tried, the night of the start of term feast, to say something to Severus, to say ANYTHING at all to the man. But he had simply stammered for a few moments and then been left standing in a hallway when the other professor simply scowled and stalked off towards the dungeon. He just didn’t have the words to say what needed to be said. Too much had passed between them.

 

When Remus looked at Snape, he saw too many things. The boy he had helped taunt in school, happy to be anything but the subject of the bullying. The Death Eater Snape had become. The professor who made the medicine he needed to live anything close to a normal life. It was all twisted up in knots inside of him. Now, he had even more reason to avoid Snape though. Sirius was in Hogsmeade, and if there was anyone who wanted Sirius dead, it was Snape. The man had made his hatred clear back in their school days, and if anything his involvement in Lilly’s death had only further fanned those flames. If Snape ever caught wind Remus had an idea of where Sirius was hiding him, thought he had protected the fugitive, he was certain Snape would make sure they both received the Dementor’s Kiss. 

 

The question of what to do about Sirius was a huge part of why he had been missing sleep. He just didn’t know what to think, who to trust. Sirius had been his closest friend in school, the first to jump to his defense in a fight, his first young love. When the news Sirius had betrayed James and Lilly reached him, he had been too shocked to believe it. He knew Sirius, or he thought he did. Before all the death, James, Lilly, Peter, poor mousy little Peter. Little Peter Pettigrew who Sirius insisted was hiding somewhere in the walls of Hogwarts. 

 

Remus walked across the room to his desk and glanced at the drawer containing his wolfsbane potion. He was going to change soon. He would drink the potion and his time as

A wolf would pass easily while he dreamed in front of the fire in his room, stretched out on the rug like an old dog. But if he didn’t, if he let himself transform without dosing himself, he would keep all his wolf-like powers. Including his sense of smell. As a person, finding a single rat inside the walls of Hogwarts was impossible. Dozens of students kept them as pets and there were more nesting in walls and rafters besides. But as a wolf, he would smell Peter, he could track him down. He could hunt him. He could- 

 

He shook himself and wrapped his arms around his torso squeezing himself as tight as he could. His hands were shaking and he could hear his heartbeat in his ears. “I’m not going to hurt anyone I’m not going to hunt anyone I’m not going to hunt anyone…” He whispered to himself, trying to make himself take deep breaths. Sucking in lungfuls of air he could smell everything in the room with perfect clarity. The stink of teen sweat lingering from his class. The stale smell of dust in the air. The piney scent of the cleaning solution Filch used on the wood floors. It all felt like too much, to sharp and close and burning in his sinuses. 

 

A knock at the classroom door shook him from his thoughts. He took one last deep breath and walked over to open it.

 

Hermione Granger’s face stared up at him, brows furrowed in either annoyance or concern. “Professor? Class was supposed to start two minutes ago.” She held up her wristwatch as if she needed proof.

 

“Sorry, sorry, just getting everything ready and lost track of time I suppose.” Remus put on a smile and opened the door wider, ushering the students in. “Today, we have a special practical lesson planned.” He watched the children set their bags down and get ready for class, chattering and laughing as they did. He looked at them and his heart hurt because all he could see was himself, and his friends, in every one of their young faces. He looked at them, so young and innocent and suddenly something inside him slid into place. He was going to trust Sirius. He couldn’t turn his back on the only happy part of his childhood he had left. And he was going to protect these kids from Peter Pettigrew as best as he could, no matter what it cost him. 


End file.
